Freedom from Shame
I had a dream last week that taught me something about shame.
It’s a big bully, the ultimate abuser, and a major stumbling block to pursuing our God given purpose.
Shame personified is anyone or anything that perpetuates evil and pain in your life. At some point, this shame, even if you’ve escaped the bad situation, imprinted its nasty thoughts into your thinking.
Here are four major causes of shame. I believe any and all variations stem from the four listed below because they all wound the spirit, soul, or body in some way.
1) Abandonment–One or both parents walking out of their child(ren)’s lives. The results are struggles with rejection and identity.
2) Abuse–This could be physical, sexual, verbal, or emotional. All leave lasting scars that, left untreated, can do permanent damage.
3) Addiction–Any form of addiction albeit drugs, alcohol, gambling, eating disorders, self-harm, etc. can wreak havoc on one’s life and cause family and friends to be harmed directly or indirectly.
4) Neglect–Maybe a spouse or a parent is with you physically, but provides no monetary or emotional support. Being neglected causes people to doubt God’s ability to love and provide for his or her needs.
I was brought to tears upon waking from my dream.
The pain that I felt was so real and it reminded me of all the times I would cry out for relief during my own season of heartbreak.
Millions of people are still stuck in this same path.
But praise be to God that He provided a solution, our freedom, for any shame one might be experiencing. His name is Jesus Christ.
Friend, whoever you may be, Jesus came to set us free from all sin and shame. You don’t have to be a captive any longer!
For those of you who don’t know Jesus, He can be your Savior by praying, with a sincere heart and genuine spirit, the following:
Jesus,
Thank you for living and dying to set me free from all sin and shame. I need you, Jesus, to be my Lord and Savior today. Thank you for making a way for me to have a relationship with Father God. I trust you and thank you for the gift of salvation. Amen.
For those of you who are already Christians, begin to read the Scriptures. Ask a mature brother or sister in Christ to disciple you in this area.
A true revelation of God’s love shining into the darkness and pain of your past is the key to embracing true freedom, the kind of freedom Christ bought for us on the cross.
Know that the Holliman family loves to see chains fall. God delivered us each in a dramatic way from the pain and shame of our past. Let us know how we can help you on this journey to freedom. Also, if you received Christ as your Savior, we’d love to hear from you as well!
All glory and honor to our Father God and our Lord Jesus Christ.