Shame is such a powerful emotion. It goes beyond just a sense of guilt or remorse for past mistakes. Shame leads me to believe, not just that I did something bad, but that I am a bad person. That kind of perspective can be devastating to my sense of self-worth. But Jesus came into our world to conquer the things that keep us separated from God, including our shame. So how do I recognize if shame is something that is impacting my attitude and actions? And how do I allow Jesus to defeat and remove feelings of shame from my mind and heart?
Many of us consistently struggle with shame – that feeling of unworthiness or inadequacy because of something we’ve done or because of someone else’s judgment and criticism. Shame can negatively impact our sense of self-worth and can damage our connections with others. But scripture teaches that Jesus came, not just take away our sin, but to take away our shame. So for the next few weeks at Flagstone we’re going to recognize the power shame can have over us, and we’re going to discover how to break free from grip of shame in our lives.
