Tenth Avenue North - Cathedralsনমুনা

Forgive Me

SHAME.

It paralyzes. It lies. It keeps us from each other.

Worst of all, shame deafens our spiritual ears. When it rolls over us like a fog over the sea, it has a way of stifling Jesus' voice crying out, "The healthy don't need a doctor but the sick do! I came to save sinners!" It shuts out Paul proclaiming, "This saying is trustworthy and true, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the chief!!!” Even though Jesus made a point of hanging out with tax-collectors, drunks, and prostitutes, shame echoes in the hallways of our soul, reverberating our fears until we're convinced what we've done is worse than the thief on the cross. Our infidelity is worse than the woman at the well. Somehow, our cheating and lying is worse than Zacchaeus'.

My friends, do not let your shame push you into isolation. Do you not see this is exactly what the enemy wants. He wants you hopeless. He wants your mistakes to define you. He wants to keep you from the blazing center of God's fierce, ferocious, and unquenchable love.

You don't have to do this life alone.

You don't.

Have you considered you can't be too weak for a Redeemer, only too strong? Have you ever dared to imagine Jesus is actually attracted to your weakness? Why do you think He came down here in the first place?

Talk to somebody. God not only wants us to confess to Him, He wants us to expose our weakness to our community. I know it's terrifying. People will judge. People will condemn. People will be unmerciful. But our God not only wants us forgiven, He wants to see us healed. When you find a gospel-believing person who hears your transgression and looks back at you with the eyes of Christ and audibly says, "Your sins are forgiven," I promise you, the healing will begin. Take the chance…today. You may just be amazed at the healing you could give someone else when you let them in on the secret, and they realize they aren't the only ones who struggle.

Jesus, don't let shame drive us to our islands. Give us new eyes to see your mercy and new eyes to see each other. Amen.