Shame

“Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered in shame.” Psalm 34:5

Shame. One of Satan’s most effective methods of attack on God’s people. It goes as far back as the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 2:25, we find, “The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.” God never intended us to walk in shame. He did not create us to hide from who we are. He did not create us to feel wrong about disclosing our true self–or becoming vulnerable (naked)–in front of one another. It was never God’s intention that we would have to hide our real self from anyone, especially Him. This lie of shame was introduced by the father of lies himself, the devil. In Genesis 3:1, Satan strategically plants the seed of doubt in Eve’s mind by asking “Did God really say…” and then he twists the truth in her mind as he continues, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden?” Straight from the start, he comes at us with seeds of doubt and a twisting of the truth. As soon as Eve was deceived by the lie of this crafty serpent and took a bite of that forbidden fruit, shame fell on her. Genesis 3:7 states that after choosing to sin, Adam and Eve immediately had their eyes opened and saw their nakedness. The result of realizing their vulnerability was an immediate desire to cover themselves up and hide from God. This, my sisters, is shame.

The desire to cover up things that are within us, or to hide them from others or God–this is a desire created by a root of shame. It can come from so many places of brokenness, all the way from things that happened to us as a child to choices we have made along the journey of life. Shame tells us that we cannot reveal our true self to anyone for fear of rejection, humiliation, or abandonment. Shame tells us that God couldn’t or wouldn’t love us the same if we make a mistake or fall short of His glory. Shame convinces us that there are just certain things you can’t share with others. Shame tells us that we have to keep those dark thoughts secret, withhold telling the whole truth about our sin, or harbor the pain of that abuse within the spaces of our heart. Shame keeps us isolated. Shame says that we will never be free, not really. Ladies, can I just remind you that SHAME IS A LIE OF THE ENEMY. There is nothing true about shame. There is nothing from the Lord in the secrecy that shame wants us to keep hidden. There is nothing good in shame or in anything that comes from it. It is time to lay shame down. Take a good look at Psalm 34:5. This is what the Lord tells us: “Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered in shame.” NEVER. Receive it. Believe it. Choose freedom today. Put shame in its rightful place–the garbage.

Lord! I just lift these beautiful women to you today! You are God! In you there is freedom! Lord, I pray that you would bring the darkness to the light and release the shame that covers any of your daughters’ faces. You are radiant, Lord! And those who look to you become radiant by simply reflecting what they see when they see you. God, you are so good and there is nothing that can change that! I love you Lord! In the precious name of Jesus! Amen

By Dawn Stewart, DOTK Community Writer