Shut Up, Shame!নমুনা

"Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance." Isaiah 61:7

I love that we serve a God who blesses us with double blessings, favor, mercy, and love, even when we don't feel we deserve it. Shame has a way of making anyone feel like a disgrace, low-down, and just plain unwanted. It's a real feeling that can be overwhelming. Shame is often defined as a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior. Shame tells us, "I AM Bad," whereas guilt says, "I did something bad." When shame enters the picture, it defines us by our actions, the actions of others towards us, or tries to become our identity, which couldn't be further from the truth.

I've personally struggled with shame in my own life. It began with the trauma of being sexually assaulted and then going through a painful breakup just as we were in talks about walking down the aisle. These kinds of challenges can make you feel like something is inherently wrong with you or that you've done something bad, which intensifies shame.

It took the love and healing of Christ to make me whole again. It was a journey that lasted four years, but I was extremely patient with my process. If you've experienced a breakup, divorce, assault, loss, or anything that makes you feel disconnected from your true self, know you are not alone. You are experiencing something that has brought you immense pain. It's okay to feel this way, but I also want you to know that there is hope, and that hope lies in the arms of Jesus.

I want to take a moment to validate your feelings. You will emerge from this shadow of shame triumphantly, on the side of grace, power, love, connection, and redemption. There are valuable lessons to be learned in all of this. In Isaiah 61:7, God promises that your experience of shame can actually work in your favor. You might wonder how that's possible. Well, you will receive a double dose of blessings for every single dose of shame you've experienced.

I want you to understand that there is redemption on the other side of this suffocating feeling of shame. However, you cannot remain stuck. It's all too easy to get caught in its grip without the right resources or tools to move forward. That's why I want to share a simple 4-S formula that I used when I navigated overcoming shame:

1. Identify and acknowledge the situation. Face it head-on and admit that it's causing you shame. Remember, it’s okay, God loves you and will walk with you through this.
2. Acknowledge your true feelings of shame around the situation. Understand the emotions that shame is stirring within you. Be open, honest and authentic with God about how you're feeling.
3. Ask and pray to God for deep soul healing and a strategy to address what you feel. Seek the Lord on how to navigate through this and ask for the strength to overcome.
4. Next, apply the solution from the strategy to get rid of shame. Take action to address and heal from the source of your shame. Affirm yourself that you will get through this because you will.

This formula can help you avoid staying stuck when you genuinely feel shame about your situation. Remember, you don't have to stay in shame. You deserve redemption from it all. Give yourself time and grace, it is a process. Understand that your past circumstances do not define you. You are not your actions or your circumstances. What was done to you, or even what you have done, does not determine your worth and identity. Don't allow the enemy to keep you trapped in shame, whether it's because you think you could've done better or because someone hurt you. God is here to help you and bless you abundantly. You'll make it through this.

Let this situation rest at His feet so you can release it and, in doing so, help someone else get through their challenges, just as you will.