When Shame Gets Realنموونە

Take Every Thought Captive

One of the biggest obstacles to overcoming shame is your mind. Recognize that the feelings of shame we all experience at times are very real. Like it or not, feelings are a God-designed part of our emotional makeup and so, when we experience the crushing weight of shame, it can be very hard to escape those feelings.

Feelings are not a bad thing. Without them, we would just be robotic organisms navigating life as a series of binary choices. There would be no empathy or mercy. No love or kindness. Just black and white, yes or no decisions based solely on a list of metrics.

Feelings are what make us human.

But feelings are simply meant to serve as a radar system, allowing us to detect possible danger or pleasure scenarios so that we can formulate appropriate responses. Scientifically speaking, feelings are the conscious experience of our emotional reactions. They are not factual or certain.

Feelings need to be evaluated before being acted upon.

And so, when faced with shame-inducing thoughts, we must examine the merit of those thoughts before we allow ourselves to completely fall into the shame that invites us in. This is what the Bible means by taking every thought captive.

Rather than allowing yourself to live in the shame of those moments, act on the truth and promises of God.

In other words…

When shame swoops in and declares you worthless and vial, stand tall assured that God’s declared you good and loved without measure.

When shame says you are too far gone with no hope of redemption, believe God’s promise that he’s removed your sins as far from you as the east is from the west.

When shame tells you to retreat from the world or escape through addictive behaviors because you are grotesque and twisted, seek God’s presence instead, believing that he will never deny you.

There’s a huge difference between experiencing feelings of shame and allowing yourself to live in that shame. To put it another way… Act on what you know to be true rather than what you feel in the moment.

Today’s Questions:

• When experiencing powerful feelings of shame, do you tend to act on what you feel or what you know and/or believe?
• How difficult is it for you to evaluate the merit of your feelings before reacting?
• What can you do to take those thoughts captive before allowing them to dictate your reactions and decisions?
• What promise of God can you cling to when facing shaming and/or self-condemning thoughts and feelings?