GLORY OVER SHAME
A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.
Matthew 8:2-3 (NIV)
Shame is insidious. It is less than black and white than guilt is, says Ed Welch, Christian psychologist. It can plague you because of what you did, what you didn’t do, what others did to you, or what others didn’t do to you.
Shame is unlike an illness. With an illness, the correct treatment may help you experience relief even if you don’t know the root cause of the disease. But shame can feel so elusive to try and diagnose at times. But Jesus addresses shame in Scripture in this way: Closeness. Intimacy. Presence.
If you’re experiencing intense shame over something you’ve done or something that’s been done to you, be reminded of Jesus’ movement toward you. He did it in this passage with the leper, the Samaritan woman, the woman at the well with many husbands, the tax collectors, and the woman with a bleeding issue that doctors couldn’t fix. Jesus moves toward these people, notices them, reaches out to them, and invites them into a relationship with Him. They’re invited into a community that can make them whole.
APPLICATION: Come clean with God about your shame today. Where do you feel it, and why? Express it to Him fully and ask Him if He wants to meet you in that shame. Listen for His response.
PRAYER: Lord, I’m overwhelmed by shame. Help me, Lord. Open my eyes to Your love and care for me. Each day, guide me into living in the way you see me. Amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?