Avoid the trap of shame

 

Shame is where the devil will try to take you when you realize how not holy you are.

A wise peer support specialist I had described the difference between shame and guilt this way. Guilt is when you say, I made a mistake.  Shame is when you say, I am a mistake.

Even though we strive for holiness in our lives, we’ll never arrive or achieve it completely. It doesn’t mean give up the fight, but it does mean cut yourself the same grace God shows you when you fail or fall into sin.

God is Holy, obviously.  But God is also patient, merciful, and gracious. He puts up with a lot of our crap in our sanctification process. He doesn’t sit in heaven waiting to smite us when we fail. He is eager to forgive us our sins as we confess them.

Shame will trap you. It will make you feel like God could never love you or use you because you’re worthless. That’s a lie from the pit of hell that you have to fight and not believe.

But what do you do when you realize that consistently you can’t live up to God’s Perfect Standard? That even your best efforts at holiness fall pathetically short? That when you’ve dealt with one idol in your heart 50 new idols appear?  You’ll be tempted to beat yourself up, but that’s not what God desires for us at all.  Remember, For God so LOVED the world…

Our failures at perfectly holy lives are meant to keep us humbly at the cross, in awe of our savior and what He accomplished 2000 years ago. We do fail miserably at living a holy life – but He didn’t!  He is the only person ever who actually lived a completely perfect life, no sin at all. And yet, even though He was perfect, He willingly laid down His life and died on a cross to bear the punishment we deserve.

I think, the holiest people you’ll meet, are the most humble people you’ll meet, because they are the ones aware that in themselves there is imperfection and flaws, but Christ in them makes their life holy.

All that to say, is, when you realize you aren’t holy, run to the cross, to the One who is Holy, and ask for more of His presence in your life, for His glory. That’s a request He won’t turn down. He wants to sanctify you! He wants to empower you to live a Holy life! He doesn’t beat you up for falling short, He restores you in His mercy and grace!

God knew what He was doing when He created you. He put you here, exactly where you are, in this time and space, knowing completely who you are and what you’ll become.  Don’t think you are the mistake, when you make a mistake. Instead, thank God for the cross and let the price of your redemption keep you in awe of the love of your creator. Let that love transform your heart and life, and it will start to make you holy as you live your life each day.

Don’t let shame have the last word on your life.