Letting Go Of Shame Through Forgiveness

Shame is not something God speaks into our lives.  Shame comes from the evil one. Yes, God will show us where we are going wrong and have done wrong but His whole way of doing it brings a desire to change and an experience of acceptance and gratitude.

One of the first practical things we can do to overcome shame and live in the dignity God wants us to walk in today is to receive God’s forgiveness for any way we have sinned against God and others. Jesus died on the cross and bore the guilt and shame for every wrong we have done. Are we willing to admit that we’ve done wrongful things and ask God for forgiveness?

He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. Titus 2:14

When we put our trust in what Jesus did for us on the cross, not only is our guilt removed, but God promises to cleanse our consciences from the shame. Some of us fear that we have done is just too awful for God to forgive. Others feel so dirty from what was done to them that they feel they can never be clean and whole again. These thoughts are nothing more than lies from the evil one that we need to renounce.

Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. Hebrews 9:14

Jesus’s blood washes away ALL sin. If we are truly sorry and turn away from our wrongdoing, God forgives us. When the evil one says our sins are unforgiveable we must counter this lie with the fact that Jesus is the perfect sacrifice for OUR sins.

Heavenly Father,  Your Words are reliable and true so when You promise us forgiveness when we confess our sins to You and turn from them, we are truly forgiven and set free from everything attached to them. 

We want to walk in that forgiveness and the dignity of freedom that You paid such a high price to attain for us.

Help us to not only receive Your forgiveness but to speak that truth over ourselves and to every voice that challenges us:  God has forgiven me.  I am washed completely clean and past sins no longer have any power over me.  Amen

It might take a few times of affirming these truth whenever thoughts come to us until our emotions change or it may happen pretty quickly.  I’ve experienced both of these and you will likely do the same.  However, emotions changing or not, the fresh start and the honour and dignity of being a beloved son or daughter of God is ours today if we will take hold of it.

Next time we will give our attention to shame we carry from injustices done to us by others.