Getting Rid of Shame

One of the most common tools of the enemy is shame. And I can tell you from experience that shame is a powerful weapon. Unless you and I can learn how to recover from shame, we will actually keep the door open for the enemy to attack our minds. Like most battles we face in the Christian life - the battlefield of the mind must be won.

What I am about to share with you comes from my own personal experience. I cannot give you a specific Bible verse to back it up, but I can give you a verse that will always counter shame. Romans 8:1 deliberately tells us that "...there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus". The fact of the matter is you are either going to believe this or not. Depending on your acceptance of God's acceptance will determine how quickly you are able to get out of shame.

Without going into all the details, I want to share with you my own personal revelation of shame and how the enemy uses it. I had gone through a process for inner healing. What we believed would come out of that time would be a difference in how I responded to what the enemy was using to keep me down. Weeks came and went but I wasn't experiencing what I believed I should be experiencing. I was victorious in this particular area of life but when I was tempted this "new thing" wasn't taking place. I thought it was odd but didn't really give it that much thought because I was walking in such personal victory. One day I began thinking about the things that I had done in my life. Shame started to take over my thinking. I was praying to God and I said, "Lord - I feel so ashamed..." Immediately what I believed would happen when I was tempted began to happen while I was praying. This new "trigger mechanism" if you will was working. And as I thought about what was taking place it dawned on me. What was keeping me tied to this particular issue in life WAS NOT temptation. What was keeping me bound in this area was SHAME.

Shame has absolutely no power to get you out of sin. In fact, it will keep you tied to sin. Fear, Shame, and Condemnation are always hanging out with sin. Look at Adam and Eve in the Garden. The fell and immediately shame moved in upon them. It was this shame that kept them from coming to God. Shame will do exactly the same thing in your life. It will keep you from approaching God. It will keep you from living in the abundant life of Christ. And it will keep you tied to your failure.

HOW DO WE FIX THIS?
You have to ground yourself in how God thinks about you. Romans 8:1 teaches us that we do not have to live in shame. 1 John 1:9 tells us that if we confess our sin that God cleanses us. So if I am in Christ and I am willing to confess (say the same thing about my sin that God says) then I have absolutely NO REASON to live in shame. It's o.k. to feel bad when you fall but you cannot stay in the place. Allowing shame to hang out with your emotions will be destructive to your victory.

This taught me that what I had been sharing for some time now is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. Who you are in Christ matters.
Learning how to establish your heart in righteousness matters.
Seeing yourself the way God sees you matters.

I found an old note that I had written that is perfect for this:

Instead of thinking...
My Sin
My Shame
My Failure

Remember...
His Forgiveness
His Grace
His Life

This will keep you walking in the Abundant Life. ENJOY!!!