I think that one of the biggest lies Satan uses against believers is shame. Every time we think or do something sinful, there are 2 typical responses. The first being, a repentant heart that asks for forgiveness and desires to change and move on (good). The second being, a condemned heart that believes this sin is their identity and walks in hateful shame hoping it will change something (bad). The first response is what Jesus wants us to do, but the second is what Satan wants us to do. He wants us to become so consumed by shame that we are paralyzed and no longer work to advance the Kingdom, but just become complacent. We cannot give into this! That is how the Church becomes useless. We must fight shame by choosing to be honest, vulnerable, and forgiving with other believers, ourselves, and Jesus. We have to be diligent to believe our true identity rather then the twisted lie Satan tries to tell us.
I was struggling with this just last night, feeling unworthy to even be in God's presence. This is what came of that:
He said to me, "Dance, my love." But I could not. I stood in that field of flowers unable to move. I was shackled and chained to the ground. It was my shame that held those chains. And so, motioning to the chains, I answered, "I cannot," and sat down, believing I was too dirty to dance freely, believing that I deserved those chains. He got up and looking very angry, walked over to where I was sitting. He took out a blazing sword, lifted it high above his head, and struck the chains that held me. The anger fell from His face and all that remained was love. He came over to me, slipped my wrists out of the shackles and said, "You are free." With that, we danced among the flowers. When I looked into His face, nothing else mattered. All I had done in the past and all the shame that followed melted away. It didn't matter. All that mattered was Him. All that matters is Him.
Do you know who you really are? Do you know that Jesus loves you more then anything? Do you understand that God came down as a man, died a criminals death, and defeated Satan, all so that you could be free and know His love?
You may be thinking, oh but if you knew what I did, or what I want to do, then you would shame me as much as I shame myself. Perhaps I would (because I am imperfect), but JESUS does not (because He is perfect love). If you know Him as your Savior then, "There was a time when some of you were just like that, but NOW your sins have been washed away, and you have been set apart for God. You have been made right with God because of what the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God have done for you," 1 Corinthians 6:11. There are no exceptions to that truth. Additionally, as believers we cannot judge others for their struggles. "If you think you are standing strong, be careful, for you, too, may fall into the same sin," 1 Corinthians 10:12. We all have the same disease of sin therefore we are all capable of murder, same sex attraction, lying, or cheating on our husbands or wives, and feeling shame about all those things, but that is not who we are. When we have whatever temptations we have, it does not define us nor should it shame us. What it should do is prove to us that we need Jesus and make us run to Him. Lay whatever it is as His feet, put it at the altar and let it be burned away. And when it starts to creep back into your life, don't give into shame, just bring it to Jesus.
Thank you Jesus that you have washed us clean. Help us to confidently know who we are in You, but forgive us when we don't and gracefully lead us back to Truth. Let us not fall into the lie of shame, but let us repent and change. Thank you for this (annoying, painful, and amazing) process of redemption.
I was struggling with this just last night, feeling unworthy to even be in God's presence. This is what came of that:
He said to me, "Dance, my love." But I could not. I stood in that field of flowers unable to move. I was shackled and chained to the ground. It was my shame that held those chains. And so, motioning to the chains, I answered, "I cannot," and sat down, believing I was too dirty to dance freely, believing that I deserved those chains. He got up and looking very angry, walked over to where I was sitting. He took out a blazing sword, lifted it high above his head, and struck the chains that held me. The anger fell from His face and all that remained was love. He came over to me, slipped my wrists out of the shackles and said, "You are free." With that, we danced among the flowers. When I looked into His face, nothing else mattered. All I had done in the past and all the shame that followed melted away. It didn't matter. All that mattered was Him. All that matters is Him.
Do you know who you really are? Do you know that Jesus loves you more then anything? Do you understand that God came down as a man, died a criminals death, and defeated Satan, all so that you could be free and know His love?
You may be thinking, oh but if you knew what I did, or what I want to do, then you would shame me as much as I shame myself. Perhaps I would (because I am imperfect), but JESUS does not (because He is perfect love). If you know Him as your Savior then, "There was a time when some of you were just like that, but NOW your sins have been washed away, and you have been set apart for God. You have been made right with God because of what the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God have done for you," 1 Corinthians 6:11. There are no exceptions to that truth. Additionally, as believers we cannot judge others for their struggles. "If you think you are standing strong, be careful, for you, too, may fall into the same sin," 1 Corinthians 10:12. We all have the same disease of sin therefore we are all capable of murder, same sex attraction, lying, or cheating on our husbands or wives, and feeling shame about all those things, but that is not who we are. When we have whatever temptations we have, it does not define us nor should it shame us. What it should do is prove to us that we need Jesus and make us run to Him. Lay whatever it is as His feet, put it at the altar and let it be burned away. And when it starts to creep back into your life, don't give into shame, just bring it to Jesus.
Thank you Jesus that you have washed us clean. Help us to confidently know who we are in You, but forgive us when we don't and gracefully lead us back to Truth. Let us not fall into the lie of shame, but let us repent and change. Thank you for this (annoying, painful, and amazing) process of redemption.