Paul Woodley | Biblical Identity & Leadership for Kingdom Success

Category: Genesis

Every transformation begins with a beginning. This category draws from the book of Genesis to uncover powerful truths about identity, purpose, and the patterns that shape our lives. Through biblical reflection and real-life application, you’ll discover how understanding your origin story can unlock growth, healing, and direction for your future.

  • Who Said You Were Naked?

    How the Enemy Reframes Your Struggles as Failure—And How to Reclaim God’s Truth About Who You Really Are

    There’s a haunting question God asks in Genesis 3 that echoes through every life, every lie, and every limiting belief:

    “Who said you were naked?” (Genesis 3:11)

    Adam had just sinned. His eyes were opened. He saw he was naked—and felt ashamed. But here’s what’s wild: he was always naked. The difference? He now perceived it through the lens of guilt, not glory. His reality shifted—not because of what changed around him, but what changed within him.

    In that one moment, mankind traded spiritual vision for fleshly perception. He believed a lie, and that lie created a new narrative: “You’re exposed. You’re not enough. You’re on your own.”

    It’s the same lie people believe today.

    You’re Not Naked—You’re Just Believing the Wrong Voice

    Many of us live under the weight of false identities—believing we’re broken, behind, or unworthy—because someone or something told us we were. Circumstances didn’t define us… but we interpreted them as proof that God must not be with us.

    We lost the lens of glory and put on the glasses of fear.

    We believed:

    • “If I lost the job, I must be failing.”
    • “If I’m sick, I must be cursed.”
    • “If I’m single, I must be unlovable.”
    • “If I’m struggling, God must be absent.”

    But none of that came from God.

    God never said you were naked.

    The enemy did. The world did. A broken system did. And when you accept those voices as truth, your spiritual reality is replaced with a counterfeit one.

    The World Reframes Struggle as Scarcity

    Culture tells you that if life isn’t perfect, you must be doing it wrong. That challenge means something’s broken. That waiting is wasted time. That weakness disqualifies you.

    But the Kingdom flips the script.

    Struggle isn’t failure—it’s formation.
    Waiting isn’t punishment—it’s preparation.
    Weakness isn’t shameful—it’s where grace shows off.

    When we define our lives by what’s missing, we miss what God is doing.

    God Is Still the God of Abundance

    What if your “nakedness” isn’t nakedness at all—but the beginning of covering?

    • What if losing the job made room for the calling?
    • What if the delay is building your character?
    • What if the silence is God tuning your ears?

    The enemy reframes challenges as defeat. God reframes them as destiny.

    So Let Me Ask You…

    Who told you that you were naked?

    Who told you your struggle defined you?
    Who told you you’re not worthy, ready, or loved?

    Because that voice doesn’t come from your Father.

    Your Father calls you chosen, clothed, covered, and called.

    Walk in What God Said

    Jesus came to restore our spiritual sight. To heal the blindness that began in Eden. To remind us that in Him, we are not naked, not ashamed, not forgotten—but fully known and fully loved.

    Stop agreeing with the lie.

    Start aligning with the truth.

  • Satan’s First Move

    “Has God Said…?” — Man’s First Problem and Satan’s First Move

    “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field…”
    —Genesis 3:1

    Before there was death, disease, or depression…
    Before humanity fell into addiction, confusion, or pride…
    There was one problem that opened the floodgates to all others: spiritual blindness.

    And it didn’t come by accident—it came by deception.

    👁️ Man’s First Problem: Spiritual Blindness

    In the Garden, Adam and Eve had perfect sight. They walked with God. They knew His voice. They weren’t confused about who they were. They were naked and unashamed—fully exposed, yet fully secure.

    But everything changed the moment they listened to another voice.

    Spiritual blindness isn’t just not seeing—it’s seeing wrong. It’s what happens when we stop trusting the Truth and start entertaining a twisted version of it.

    In Genesis 3, the enemy didn’t come with a sword. He came with a question:

    “Has God really said…?”

    That single phrase planted doubt. It turned clarity into confusion. It distorted identity. And it blinded humanity.

    Because that’s how Satan operates—he doesn’t usually deny God outright. He distorts Him just enough to cause disobedience and death.

    🐍 Satan’s First Tactic: Distorting the Truth

    Satan didn’t force Eve to rebel. He didn’t challenge her with a battle—he challenged her with language.

    “Has God said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
    (Genesis 3:1)

    But that’s not what God said.

    God had said: “You may surely eat of every tree… but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat.”

    Satan twisted abundance into restriction. He made freedom sound like oppression. And by doing so, he accomplished something deadly: he reframed God as a liar, or worse—a tyrant.

    🤯 What Happened Next?

    Eve saw the tree again—but now with distorted sight:

    • It was “good for food”
    • It was “a delight to the eyes”
    • It was “desirable to make one wise”

    But all of that was based on a lie.

    She wasn’t seeing the tree through God’s truth anymore. She was seeing it through Satan’s lens.

    That’s what spiritual blindness does—it distorts our perception and leads to disobedience. And disobedience always leads to death.

    🛑 Why This Still Matters

    Satan hasn’t changed his tactic. His playbook is the same:

    • Twist the Word
    • Target identity
    • Erode trust in God
    • Replace truth with half-truth
    • Blind you from what’s real

    He still asks the same question in new ways:

    • “Did God really say sex is only for marriage?”
    • “Did God really say to forgive your enemies?”
    • “Did God really say you’re chosen, loved, and empowered?”

    If he can get you to question God’s truth, he can get you to compromise your purpose.

    👑 The Remedy: Eyes to See

    Jesus came to restore sight to the blind (Luke 4:18). That’s not just physical healing—it’s spiritual clarity.

    Through Christ:

    • We recover the truth about God.
    • We regain our true identity.
    • We stop living as deceived victims and start living as redeemed sons.

    Because truth isn’t just a doctrine—it’s a Person.
    And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (2 Cor. 3:17).

    🔥 Final Thought

    Satan’s first tactic wasn’t a sword. It was a question.

    “Has God said?”

    Don’t take the bait.

    The greatest antidote to spiritual blindness is to cling to what God has already spoken.

    Open your Bible. Know His voice. Refuse the distortion. And walk in the light of the truth.

    Because when you see clearly, you live freely.

  • God Created…

    “In the Beginning… God” — The Origin of Everything, Including You

    “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” — Genesis 1:1

    This isn’t just the first sentence of Scripture. It’s the opening line of the greatest story ever told. A story not primarily about us—but about God. A sovereign King who creates not out of boredom, but with intention. With beauty. With purpose.

    Before there was time, space, or matter—there was God. And He was not lonely. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were in perfect unity, lacking nothing. So why did God create?

    Because He was beginning the process of establishing His Kingdom.

    Creation was the canvas. The heavens and the earth were His royal domain. And humanity—formed in His image—was destined to reflect His glory and steward His realm. From the very beginning, God wasn’t just building a universe—He was setting up a Kingdom.

    The Kingdom Has a King

    But a Kingdom is only as glorious as its King.

    Scripture makes clear that the Father’s eternal plan was to install His Son—not just as Savior, but as King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16). This wasn’t Plan B. This was always the point.

    From Genesis to Revelation, we see this Kingdom thread woven throughout:

    • In Genesis, we see a garden-temple, a place where God dwells with man.
    • In Psalms, we read “I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill” (Psalm 2:6).
    • In Isaiah, we’re promised a child who will reign on David’s throne forever (Isaiah 9:6-7).
    • In the Gospels, Jesus declares, “The Kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15).
    • And in Revelation, He returns—not as a suffering servant—but as the rightful King to reign forever.

    Jesus didn’t come simply to forgive our sins—He came to reclaim the authority lost in the garden. He came to reverse the curse and reestablish Heaven’s rule on Earth.

    Your Story Begins with His

    We often ask, “What’s my purpose?” But the better question is, “What is His purpose—and how do I fit into it?”

    If you don’t know the King, you won’t understand your role in His Kingdom. And if you ignore the Kingdom, you’ll always misunderstand the point of your life.

    You weren’t created to wander, hustle, or merely survive. You were born into a story. A Kingdom story. And the good news is: the King is not distant. He is not silent. He has come near. He has conquered sin and death. And He invites you to rule with Him—not someday in the clouds, but now—as an ambassador of His Kingdom on Earth.

    In Conclusion: It All Starts with God

    The Bible doesn’t begin with “Once upon a time.” It begins with In the beginning, God.

    That’s where your story must begin, too.

    Not with your dreams, your struggle, or even your calling. But with God—the Creator, the Sovereign, the King.

    He is building His Kingdom. And Jesus is the King who reigns forever.

    The only question is: will you submit to His rule and take your rightful place in the story He is writing?

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  • In the Beginning…

    Every story has a starting point. Ours begins not with man, but with God.

    Before there were nations, languages, or even light—there was a King. Not elected. Not appointed. Eternal. He spoke, and reality responded. The heavens and the earth were not accidents of science or fate—they were the intentional act of a sovereign Creator establishing His domain.

    This blog is about that Kingdom and how it relates to your ultimate success here on earth!

    It’s about understanding your life through the lens of the One who made you. It’s about tracing the thread of God’s rule from Genesis to Revelation—and seeing how Jesus, the Son of God, is not just Savior but King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

    If you’ve ever felt like something was missing in your story, it may be because you’ve started in the wrong place. The truth is: your story doesn’t begin with you. It begins with Him.

    Welcome to the Kingdom.

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