DAY 36: It's A Shame

We all have those things that we hide and don't talk about openly--things that we aren't proud of in our lives and that have varying degrees of impact on how we live day to day. At times, we choose to allow those things and the shame we feel to disconnect us from the rest of the world. That's the point where shame becomes a tricky thing.

You see, shame is not a mystery to God even when it's a mystery to us. In fact, the Bible talks about how it's God that "shames" the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27) or those who are "treacherous" (Psalm 25:3) and there are countless places throughout the Old Testament where shame is attributed to those who do evil things or are living contrary to God's will. A little shame or guilt leads to conviction and useful to the Lord. Conversely, a lot of shame causes condemnation--something God doesn't desire for those who serve him (Romans 8:1).

Just like so many things, the enemy perverts those 'healthy doses' of shame to make us lose focus on what and Who is truly important. The enemy's goal is to use condemning shame as an isolating emotion that moves us further away from God; whereas conviction and guilt are tools to turn us towards the Lord. Shame causes us to hide. It causes us to doubt all the good that God has made us to be. Condemning shame causes us to forget that God called his Creation (yes, that includes us) "good" or the fact that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:13) even in our messiness.

When we get caught up in shame then we become egocentric and forget that this life is truly not all about us. It tends to feel like we have this all-powerful God wagging his lofty finger at us, making us cower into ourselves. However, that is not God's plan. He has a plan to 'prosper us and to give us a hope and a future' (Jeremiah 29:11). That is the devil's plan. Satan wants to convince you and I that God couldn't care about us in all of our mess. While that may be how man would treat us, it's not how God treats us. Time and time again he assures us that he will never leave or forsake us, that we are forgiven and that he is a God who grants us immeasurable amounts of grace and mercy. So no matter what addiction you are harboring or bad behavior you can't seem to stop, when you keep making an effort to break through those messy points and not get stuck in the muck and mire of your shame, God will honor that. The enemy wants us stuck. However, God's desire is for us to get the victory over those areas of our lives. The enemy desires for us to keep those secret things hidden and in the dark. God desires for exposure and light to remove the stronghold that these things have on our lives.

So what comes to mind when you are reading these words? What part of your life have you been ashamed of or hiding? What habit or relationship or tendency have you cloaked in darkness? Today is a great new opportunity to bring it to light. While everyone doesn't need to know your dirt, there's value to finding even one trustworthy person who can help you stand in prayer and move out of darkness and into light. Today's the perfect chance to make that change and remove the stress of humiliation and distress caused by our behaviors.

Be encouraged,
Pastor Andrea

DAY 3: Demolishing Walls of Shame

Today, I felt the Lord prompting me to share something about an event in my past with a group that I don't share often. It isn't a secret but it used to be. I used to tremble at the idea of people knowing about this place of shame. So it's one of those things that I don't talk about often. The reason is because for years I felt such shame associated with these particular events of my life. For many years, it was an aspect of my life that I always figured was better left in the past unless specifically prompted to bring it out into the present. But what I remarked on today (and have actually noticed the last few years of my life) is that the more I share and live transparently before people, the less I feel ensnared in the bondage that the enemy hopes to keep most of us in. Every time I have shared, I felt as though I was personally deconstructing the devil's wall of shame. His goal is to post the misfortunes, failures and tragedies of our lives on his wall. Our goal needs to be to tear it down!

Whether it is something we did or something done to us, he desires for us to constantly be judging ourselves and judging God's love for us by a clean wall. But what I know to be true is that's not how God operates. He does not remind us of our tragedy nor of our sins. The Bible tells us that "the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is (God's) faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23)

This means that there's nothing too great or too tragic or too shameful for God. And today as I shared, it occurred to me that I had stopped feeling shame years ago. Consequently, I was able to share with clarity and boldness...knowing that what I shared was out of obedience to the Lord. Furthermore, the sound of peace in my own heart and weightlessness of liberty washed over me even as I spoke. For I have found that what is beyond shame is a freedom in the spirit that can be rivaled by none.

Today, it's demolition time! Be encouraged to release the spaces of shame that have you tied in knots. Let me be a testament to you that the freedom from embracing every aspect of your life as one of the building blocks that is "working together for your good" (Romans 8:28), is well worth facing the fear of vulnerability. In the middle of the truth of who you are and all that you have been through, YOU ARE ENOUGH! You are valuable and your shame does not define you. And if that's just too much for you to think about right away, simply pray and ask that the Lord silence the enemy and give you the strength to face your truth in the absence of shame...

In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; 

in your righteousness deliver me! Incline your ear to me;

rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me!

...I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hand; 

rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors! 

Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love! 

O Lord, let me not be put to shame, for I call upon you; 

let the wicked be put to shame; let them go silently to Sheol. 

Let the lying lips be mute, which speak insolently against the righteous in pride and contempt. 

Psalm 31:1,2,14-18

Blessings,
Pastor A