What is shame and where does it come from?
If we believe that we are not enough we give this lie power over us. When our defenses are down, and we’ve lost sight of our worth in God’s eyes, we’re particularly vulnerable to shame.
Shame is different from guilt. Guilt says, “You’ve made a mistake,” but shame says, “You are a mistake. You are not okay.” Words and experiences that feed our shame stay with us for years. Is there shame in how clever or stupid we perceive ourselves to be? When we look at our bodies do we feel ugly or undesirable? Have we come to believe that in our relationships we are just not enough? Do we carry shame about our past, our background, our family secrets? When we compare ourselves to others do we wonder if we’ve achieved enough?
We can choose to take hold of words and experiences that healed us of shame
We need to listen to the voices that are speaking in our mind, body, heart soul and spirit. What is stopping us from truly being ourselves?
Making mistakes is part of being human. We need to remember where we’ve been seen and loved despite our failures. Those memories will strengthen us, giving us the wherewithal to cope. However, negative words which have wounded us early on can sometimes override the words of affirmation.
Reclaiming God’s image of us
God wants us to accept ourselves just as we are. So, even though a barb of shaming might come at us, we can learn not to let it hook us. As we love ourselves more we can stop trying to be something or someone we are not.
God understands our makeup, knows our hurts and accepts us completely. His affirmation reinforces us inside. He desires that we walk in the wholeness He intends for us.
Today, let’s think on a few of the free things in our lives which we’ve been given.
Spend a moment feeling the rhythm of your breath.
Follow your heart’s pulse.
Look at a tree and consider the gift of sight.
Spend a few minutes journaling anything that comes up.
Can we accept God’s view of us? His loving gaze says, ‘you are enough in my sight’.
God sees us within and beyond our mistakes, our shame and hurt.
As we can, let’s ask God for healing in places where we’ve experienced shame, where we’ve felt stupid, or undesirable, or that we don’t fit in.
