Shame Off You

Shame is an emotion that we will have all experienced, and for many of us that might be on a regular basis. It can have a crippling effect on our lives, on our identity, our relationships, our ability to think straight, to love others, to love ourselves.

Shame cripples us because it stops us from knowing God’s grace! We don’t feel we are worthy of his love and his mercy.

Shame cripples us by leaving us with a low feeling of self-worth, we lose our focus on who God sees us as, and we let our experiences and people’s word define us.

But God didn’t create us to be crippled by shame. Shame entered the world as a result of sin. The great news is that He sent Jesus to rescue us from the crippling effects of shame.

He doesn’t accuse us of what we have done, He doesn’t shame us – He forgives us and calls us to walk in newness of life.

Three ways to deal with shame:

• Identify It – how are you experiencing it? What are the triggers for you?
• Eliminate It -how can you eliminate things in your life that you know are a trigger for shame?
• Oppose It – Be determined that you’re not going to take part in shaming others! How might you do this at times?

“Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.” (Psalm 34:5)