There is No Shame - Encouragement Café - March 9, 2017

There Is No Shame
By Annah Matthews
Thursday, March 9, 2017

Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. For your Maker is your husband– the Lord Almighty is his name– the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. Isaiah 54:4-5

When do you feel ashamed? When is the last time you “cringed” as you realized you had stuck your foot in your mouth… again? Have you recently thrown your hands up in the air in disgust and asked God “Why do I keep doing this?”

Are there certain areas of your life that you can’t seem to move past. Things like gossip, overeating, pride, overspending, a sharp tongue, shame over sins from your past, or you fill in the blank yourself.

Take a look in God’s Word at some women who also felt shame. Eve was caught eating the fruit from the Tree of Life and discovered her nakedness. The Woman at the Well lived in adultery. The woman who bled just longed to be healed and was embarrassed to be called out of the crowd.

Hannah wept with heartache at being unable to give her husband children while her husband’s other wife, Peninnah, was a baby-making machine. Elizabeth felt “disgraceful” for her inability to bear children for her husband, Zechariah, the priest.

God gives us these stories in His Word to show us that we are not alone and that shame is a common theme plaguing us all. Satan uses an arsenal of tools to keep us in bondage, and shame is one that he has been using since the beginning of time.

God’s Word tells us that we no longer have to live in shame, disgrace, or fear. Christ came to set us free, to redeem us, to call us His own. He is ready to perform the great exchange if we will allow Him. Just think of it… our shame can be replaced with His freedom, our fears with His peace.

Maybe you feel ashamed because you just can’t seem to drop that weight no matter how many times you try. Maybe you feel embarrassed when you realize you have made a comment that just didn’t come out the right way. Maybe you are fearful that someone will discover things you did in the past and nothing would be more humiliating.

Maybe you are afraid that God will never allow you the privilege of being called Mom. Maybe you can pinpoint it, but it’s that thing that creeps back into your mind when you lay your head down at night and it’s just you and the Lord.

Are you ready to exchange your shamefulness for the dignity of being a daughter of God? Do you want to replace fear with the confidence of being a child of the King? God has already sent His Son to replace all those feelings of shame, worry, and fear with His grace, mercy, and peace.

He is ready in an instant to step in and cover your feelings of inadequacy with His Word and His Truth. He loves you so much and He knows the depth of your fear and shame. He asks you to trust that He is with you, guiding you, and covering you with His grace for each step of the way. He just needs you to rely on Him one moment at a time.

Pain, fear, and shame can be overwhelming, but Christ can lay a hand on your bleeding heart and calm it with His presence. Tell God about your fears, your worries, and your shame and listen as He says to you, “Do not fear, do not be ashamed, you are not a disgrace or a humiliation. I am your Redeemer, your Holy One, and your God of all creation.”  And that beautiful creation includes you!

Lord, Thank You that You have already sent Christ to overcome any feelings of shame, fear, or inadequacies that I may feel. Thank You that Your Word is the truth and that through Your Word this truth can set me free. Lord, You know the places that I have failed You and You alone. Forgive me as I seek to turn from the areas of my life that cause me shame, fear, and humiliation. Help me to accept Your peace, Your guidance, and Your love as I rely on You one moment at a time. I don’t want my fears and shame to stop me from doing the works You have called me to do. Thank You Lord for Your love, forgiveness, and grace in my life and help me to honor You in all I do.  In Your Precious Heavenly Name, Amen.

© 2017 by Annah Matthews. All rights reserved.

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