Shame seems to be hard-wired in all of us. At times it appears as though we can’t escape shame, and it gets the best of us. It attempts to dictate who we are and what we’re worth. It mares the soul. We often see others through our shame, and it’s our shame that has a profound effect on how we see God. It’s easier than we think to shame others and threaten their sense of belonging with off-hand comments and shabby thoughts. When we do, it’s a mirror of our soul. Any way we withhold love and belonging of another is an indicator of our own struggle with shame.
We shame our children for not fitting the perfect picture in our head, for not acting the way we’d hoped. We reject our friends for thoughts or actions we deem out of line. We withhold love because they don’t meet our approval.
But with Jesus as our helper and healer, we can break through shame to a place of grace and freedom. We can love others from a healthy place, free from how others feel about us. We can throw off disapproval, rejection, and abandonment as our hearts are held by the Prince of Peace, not the principalities of this world. As we do, we’ll lend our love and strength to those around us. Our families, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances will gain a glimpse of unconditional love not bound by rejection or shame. And our breakthrough will make room for others to find themselves in their own stories of freedom from shame.
For the rest of the day, I encourage you to meditate on these powerful words of Christ:
“Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” (John 8:11)
When a shameful thought tries to squeeze into your day, claim the words of Christ that you are free from condemnation and able to live a life of freedom—able to conquer sin because of Christ’s love, power, and mercy.
Excerpted from the six-week Bible study Never Alone: 6 Encounters with Jesus to Heal Your Deepest Hurts, Tiffany Bluhm, Ó 2018 by Abingdon Press. All rights reserved.