SHAME Do you know that guilt and shame are not the same emotion? Although those two words are often used interchangeably, they are definitely not the same emotion. Brene Brown defines shame as “the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing we are flawed and therefore unworthy of acceptance or belonging.” While guilt says I did something wrong, shame says I am wrong. Shame is a definition of who we are. Shame is a very difficult experience. Women experience this emotion more often than men do. Shame was the first emotion that Adam and Eve experienced after the Fall. Genesis 2:25 says, “And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” The Fall happens in Genesis 3:1-7. Verse 7 says, “Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.” Then in verses 8-11 God comes in the cool of the day as He had been doing until then and Adam and Eve were hidden. The root word for shame is to cover or to hide. That is exactly what Adam and Eve did once they sinned. There is good news for those experiencing shame. When Jesus died on the Cross, He took on ALL our shame and ALL our guilt. There is no reason for any Christian to live in shame. Just as shame came in when Adam and Eve fell, our shame was dealt with when Jesus died and was resurrected. Just like sin, shame began with one man and should end with One man. In order to overcome shame, one must first recognize that he or she is experiencing shame. Remember guilt is about behavior but shame is an identity. If you pray and realize that you are experiencing shame, take it to the Cross and leave it there. Jesus encountered several women who were shamed in His day. Matthew 9 tells the story of a woman with an issue of blood. She had experienced a flow of blood for twelve years. This woman would have been an outcast for twelve years. This woman had worked her way through a large crowd just to get to touch the garment that Jesus was wearing. She was healed immediately. Jesus did not ignore this woman. He told everyone around that He felt power leave Him. He took the time to talk to this woman. Jesus told her in Matthew 9:22, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well”. The Gospel of John tells us the story of the woman that Jesus met at the well. According to chapter 4 of the Gospel of John, this woman was a Samaritan. Jesus was Jewish and the Jews did not interact with Samaritans. Also, this woman came at noon and Jesus chose to talk to her (not the other way around). She had been married five times and was not married to the man she was living with. This woman lived in shame. She did not go to the well for water when the other women did because of her shame. She went during the hottest part of the day. She did this to avoid other people. Jesus spoke to her. Jesus started a conversation with this woman on purpose. He told her who He was and the things she had done. She recognized Him as the Messiah. He chose to speak to her. He probably knew that she would be there. Their meeting was not a mistake (I don’t think). There are numerous examples of Jesus approaching the shamed in His society. He never tried to escape from their presence. He loved them. He loves you too. Finally, Jesus took our shame on the Cross. Hebrews 12:2 says – looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. No Christian should walk around experiencing shame. Jesus took care of shame for all of us.
WHO OR WHAT IS OUR IDOL? Taken from Elyse Fitzpatrick, Idols of the Heart Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep you heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life, (ESV).” Here Scripture says that we should keep our heart, some versions say guard your heart, because everything we do flows from it. Perhaps that is why God wants our entire heart. When Jesus was asked about the most important commandments, He said to love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind (Matthew 22:27). Obviously our “heart” is very important to our Creator. But also important is our soul and our mind. Biblically the heart applies to our inner being: our soul, spirit, will, and all that goes on internally in our “heart”. What does this mean? God loves us but he wants to be our only God. He is our Creator and because of that He knows us best. Included in what Scripture refers to as the “heart” is our mind, affections, and will. Our mind refers to our thoughts, understandings, beliefs, judgment, etc. Our affections include our desires, feelings, emotions, and longings, and our will includes our actions. God is very concerned with our heart. Why? Because it out of our hearts that we do everything. Look at Luke 6:43-45 – “43) For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44) For every tree is know by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45) A good man out of the good treasure of his heart beings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks, (NKJV). When our hearts are seeking the Lord, the actions that we do will please Him. If our hearts are anywhere else other than focused on the Lord, the evil actions will flow. It is amazing how many things that come before serving our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We must always be mindful of that fact. Different things can creep in and become our focus. But with our Father’s help, we can focus on Jesus. We need the help of the Holy Spirit to remind us when we are following a bad path. He will gently remind us that we have strayed. Have you strayed? I know it is easy for me to be led astray. Life can get in the way. Raising children, our jobs, our home, our comfort. All of these things can easily become more important for us. Focus on Jesus. James reminds us in 4:2 says, “2) You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.” So if we ask the Holy Spirit to remind us to keep our focus on trusting in the Lord, He will do so. He will do so because when we ask that we know that we are asking His will.
Who or What Is Your Idol?
Taken from Elyse Fitzpatrick, Idols of the Heart Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep you heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life, (ESV).” Here Scripture says that we should keep our heart, some versions say guard your heart, because everything we do flows from it. Perhaps that is why God wants our entire heart. When […]