A thought by Andy Stanley (2009-08-22) from his
book, It Came from Within!: The Shocking Truth of What Lurks in the Heart (p. 55). Multnomah Books. Kindle Edition.
That
is so true isn’t it? Now how we view
the action that brings us that shame has so much to do with how we deal with
it.
Back
when I was in ministry I did something that brought so much shame on my life
and I stepped out of ministry. Margaret
and I moved to another town. I knew that
I had blown it and I started selling Insurance.
The shame changed the direction of my life. That is until I went to a church in that town
and God sent a Godly Pastor into my life who took the time and patience to
bring me out of my shame. You see my sin
action didn’t make God turn His back on me.
He pursued me and won me back.
Now
if my shame would have kept me from seeking out God then I would have had scars forever but my shame drew me to God and He in turn through it changed me
for all time. He used my shame to deepen
my empathy for people like I never had had.
I then knew what forgiveness really felt like. I really saw how much God loved me in spite
of my imperfections.
Of
course I asked Him to forgive me and He did and I live today in His eyes as if
I had never done it. “There is now no condemnation (shame) to those who are in Christ.”
Now
if you have asked Him to forgive you but you still have the shame it doesn’t
come from Him. He forgave you. It comes from someone else, from Satan or from
your own perfectionism.
I
was reminded in my reading this morning of the shame that the prostitute that
the religious leaders brought to Jesus to test Him and of how Jesus handled it
there in John 8. You may remember how He
wrote their sins in the sand and their shame instead of bringing them to Christ
made them turn and walk away but the shame of the woman brought her to
Christ. He finished His time with her
saying, “Go on your way. From now on, don’t sin.” John 8:10 (Msg)
You
see, real shame comes from your sin and if you ask Christ to forgive you the
shame inside you of the sin is gone.
Yes
it does impact our words and behaviors but if it brings you to Christ then it
will have a positive, life changing impact.
It did in my life and it did in the life of that prostitute.
What
about you?
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