Unveiled: Overcoming Shame and Embracing Peace

Recently I’ve thought a lot about shame and how we deal with this dark, heavy cloud that hangs over us through various seasons in our lives. If you’re like me, there may be times in your life where you’ve really screwed up. Maybe you made choices that reflected your selfishness; choices you regretted the moment you made them. Or maybe you followed down a path of bad decision after bad decision that lead you into an unhealthy lifestyle that hurt those around you and yet you felt stuck and unable to get out or turn your life around.  

During these times, it’s easy to pull on the blanket of shame. We tell ourselves “how could you be so stupid?” “How could you do what you did to (insert name)?” “You do not deserve happiness. You deserve every bad thing that comes your way - every consequence that comes from your bad decision.” The Enemy will always use these lies to try to defeat you, no matter how far you’ve come or how long it’s been.

But, there is hope!

The beautiful truth that we often miss is that God truly loves us. If you’re a believer in Jesus, then you already know this as a fact. But do you truly grasp what that means? Let it sink in. The Creator of the Universe is completely enamored with you and with me. I love how the Message puts it in John 3:16-17

“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted;”

So - God loves the world - and the world is EVERYONE - so much that Jesus took on our sin. Why? So that none of us would have to pay the penalty. By believing and accepting Jesus, our lives can be whole and lasting. And, it doesn’t stop there. He didn’t do this to accuse us - He did it to help.

He did it to put things right with the world. To make things right with you and me.

If you trust in Jesus, you are acquitted - forgiven and accepted with open arms.

I’m so glad you’re joining me on this journey. Let us break down the wall - remove the veil of shame - and embrace the beautiful and uniquely appointed life full of joy and peace that He has designed especially for you and me.