You know that feeling you have when you know you've done something you shouldn't have? It's a feeling common to human beings that goes all the way back to Adam and Eve. The first two people God created lived in a perfect environment God had created for them. The Bible tells us they "were not ashamed." An antonym for the word shame is pride.
Adam and Eve were filled with pride. Good pride. They were proud of who God had made them to be: loved and loving creatures with great purpose and worth. God was proud of them, and they were living in the light of His love. He was delighted with His creation. They were precious to Him. Everything He had created, from the lush plants and fruit, to the beautiful animals and stars in the sky, He had made for them. For their enjoyment, to provide for their needs, and to reveal His glory. He wanted them to know they were special.
But then something happened. Something dreadful. God gave them a warning and a command, and they didn't listen and obey. They didn't trust in His wisdom and love. They trusted in themselves and someone who lied to them. The Bible says as soon as they did this, they became fearful and hid themselves from God's presence. They covered their bodies to try to hide their sin, but they couldn't. They felt shame they were not created to ever feel. They lost their sense of pride as God's beloved creation.
When we do things we know are wrong today, the same thing happens. There isn't anything we can do to keep the shame from overtaking us, and our first instinct is to hide. Our hearts are overtaken by fear of judgement, and we think, 'I need to cover this. I need to run and hide. I need to protect my heart from this feeling of shame.'
The only problem with that is, it's impossible. The only way to regain the pride we are meant to live in is to allow God to cover our sin. Not to hide it from Him and keep our distance, but to go to Him and say, 'I messed up. I didn't listen to you and obey. I did my own thing. I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Please cover me in your love.'
It's an amazing feeling to have the shame covered by the only One who can. Not only because the shame fades, but also because the belief of who He has made us to be returns. To know we are valued and loved is vital to our survival and happiness.
In John 3, Jesus talked to a man named Nicodemus who was living in a great state of shame and was doing everything he could to get rid of it--to cover himself. He belonged to a group of highly religious people who thought they could attain perfection by living a perfect life. They tried to cover their sin with good deeds and rituals they believed would make them holy and worthy in God's eyes. They were righteous to a fault. They were doing a lot of good and right things but for the wrong reasons.
But Nick knew something was missing. He knew trying to cover his shame wasn't working. He came to Jesus at night because he was afraid of what others would think of him going to a new rabbi who was teaching strange new things about God. Jesus talked about God's mercy and love, about forgiveness and repentance. He told them they didn't need to try and hide their sin or make up for it, but rather to confess their sins and be cleansed by God.
God's forgiveness was what they needed, and it was so easy to receive, but many didn't believe it could be that simple. Many others did believe, and they knew it was true because they experienced the release from shame and fear. They were overtaken by God's mercy and love, and they were reborn. Their pride in who they were as God's children returned, and they stopped hiding in the darkness. They came into the light of God's love and forgiveness and truth. And they were no longer ashamed.
You may be feeling shame for many things. Perhaps because you are trying to cover your sin rather than letting Jesus cover you with His forgiveness and love, or perhaps because you don't truly believe in His forgiveness. You know He forgives, but you don't feel forgiven. Either way you need to step out of the darkness and into the light. Out of the lies and into the truth.
Talk to God about how you feel. Don't try to cover feelings of shame yourself--let Jesus do it. Let Him cover you with His love.
"You desire honesty from the heart...Give me back my joy again." Psalm 51:6,8 (NLT)
Adam and Eve were filled with pride. Good pride. They were proud of who God had made them to be: loved and loving creatures with great purpose and worth. God was proud of them, and they were living in the light of His love. He was delighted with His creation. They were precious to Him. Everything He had created, from the lush plants and fruit, to the beautiful animals and stars in the sky, He had made for them. For their enjoyment, to provide for their needs, and to reveal His glory. He wanted them to know they were special.
But then something happened. Something dreadful. God gave them a warning and a command, and they didn't listen and obey. They didn't trust in His wisdom and love. They trusted in themselves and someone who lied to them. The Bible says as soon as they did this, they became fearful and hid themselves from God's presence. They covered their bodies to try to hide their sin, but they couldn't. They felt shame they were not created to ever feel. They lost their sense of pride as God's beloved creation.
When we do things we know are wrong today, the same thing happens. There isn't anything we can do to keep the shame from overtaking us, and our first instinct is to hide. Our hearts are overtaken by fear of judgement, and we think, 'I need to cover this. I need to run and hide. I need to protect my heart from this feeling of shame.'
The only problem with that is, it's impossible. The only way to regain the pride we are meant to live in is to allow God to cover our sin. Not to hide it from Him and keep our distance, but to go to Him and say, 'I messed up. I didn't listen to you and obey. I did my own thing. I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Please cover me in your love.'
It's an amazing feeling to have the shame covered by the only One who can. Not only because the shame fades, but also because the belief of who He has made us to be returns. To know we are valued and loved is vital to our survival and happiness.
In John 3, Jesus talked to a man named Nicodemus who was living in a great state of shame and was doing everything he could to get rid of it--to cover himself. He belonged to a group of highly religious people who thought they could attain perfection by living a perfect life. They tried to cover their sin with good deeds and rituals they believed would make them holy and worthy in God's eyes. They were righteous to a fault. They were doing a lot of good and right things but for the wrong reasons.
But Nick knew something was missing. He knew trying to cover his shame wasn't working. He came to Jesus at night because he was afraid of what others would think of him going to a new rabbi who was teaching strange new things about God. Jesus talked about God's mercy and love, about forgiveness and repentance. He told them they didn't need to try and hide their sin or make up for it, but rather to confess their sins and be cleansed by God.
God's forgiveness was what they needed, and it was so easy to receive, but many didn't believe it could be that simple. Many others did believe, and they knew it was true because they experienced the release from shame and fear. They were overtaken by God's mercy and love, and they were reborn. Their pride in who they were as God's children returned, and they stopped hiding in the darkness. They came into the light of God's love and forgiveness and truth. And they were no longer ashamed.
You may be feeling shame for many things. Perhaps because you are trying to cover your sin rather than letting Jesus cover you with His forgiveness and love, or perhaps because you don't truly believe in His forgiveness. You know He forgives, but you don't feel forgiven. Either way you need to step out of the darkness and into the light. Out of the lies and into the truth.
Talk to God about how you feel. Don't try to cover feelings of shame yourself--let Jesus do it. Let Him cover you with His love.
"You desire honesty from the heart...Give me back my joy again." Psalm 51:6,8 (NLT)
No comments:
Post a Comment