From Ashamed to Radiant

Have you ever been on the receiving end of these biting words- “You should be ashamed of yourself”? I unfortunately have. It instantly evokes a strong gut-level response. An ashamed person may look downcast, with a flushed face, and have an urge to run away and hide.

Shame, and being ashamed, differs from guilt. When we sin, the guilt we feel is a healthy conviction through the Holy Spirit. No person is immune to sin and guilt. In Paul’s letter to the church in Rome, he makes it clear.

“ For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”( Romans 3:23,ESV)

The good news of the Gospel is that sin and guilt are atoned for, by the blood of Jesus Christ. Paul describes it this way:

“And we are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.” (vs. 24-25a).

But shame tries to go deeper, telling us lies about who we are, and who God is.

Shame can be described as humiliation, rejection, disgrace. An internal sense of being bad or hopelessly flawed.

Surprisingly, the first mention of shame in God’s Word, is with the absence of it.

“And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” (Genesis 2:25, ESV)

After Adam and Eve were deceived by the serpent, and made the choice to eat from the tree, their eyes were opened, and they knew they were naked. Their sin separated them from God, leaving a wide gap.  This gap was initially filled by guilt and shame.

In Genesis 2:25, there was no gap, and no sin or shame. Adam and Eve were truly free. Free in their relationship with God, not held back by chains of sin or a gap of shame.

What they did next, in response, is interesting. Instead of running to God, to bridge the gap, they tried to cover themselves and hide from God. (Genesis 3:7-8).

  But I love how God seeks after them and calls to them,

 “Where are you?” (Genesis 3: 9).

God pursues and makes a way to close the gap.

I can so relate to this scene in the Garden. At times I have run away from God in shame, believing I’m not good enough, or that God is ashamed of me. Maybe you have experienced this too.

Recently I’ve been writing a series of true stories from my life, and have recognized the impact of shame in my childhood and young adult life. Shame often leads to behavior that is destructive to ourselves and others. In my life, it overflowed to those closest to me, like my husband and children, in the form of anxiety, depression, and even anger.

Is freedom from oppressive shame possible? The good news is, Yes!

When we trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord, we can look to Him, instead of looking down in shame. Our faces will shine with His Light. The radiance comes from Him, not us.

As we abide day by day in Jesus, as His disciples, we will be set free from the chains of sin and shame. Jesus Christ bridged the gap, and we no longer have to try to bridge it ourselves by our works, or fill it with shame.

Soak in these words of Jesus. “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31)

With Independence Day in America upon us, we are thankful for so many freedoms in our country. May we also remember and celebrate the true freedom from the power of sin and shame we have in Christ Jesus!