Breaking Free From the Power of ShameSample

DAY 7: He Covers Your Shame

You have no reason to be ashamed.  Christ has covered it all for you! Once Adam and Eve sinned, shame entered the scene. Their eyes were open and they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings to cover their shame (Genesis 3:7). But this was man’s attempt at covering, and it wouldn’t be sufficient. In fact, man’s attempt never is.

In Genesis 3:21, you see God graciously provide for humanity’s need in a way that Adam and Eve couldn’t do. God clothes them not with fig leaves but with animal skins. This was the first animal sacrifice that would be the anticipation of the Old Testament sacrificial system. This was a Gospel foreshadow of what was to come—sin being covered by the perfect sacrificial Lamb, Jesus. Christian, what a picture for us. We are covered not by our attempts but by God’s grace!

So, to the one who can relate to the struggle between flesh and Spirit and cannot seem to get it right, and to the one who is addicted to sin, and to the one beating himself up because of the same failures over and over again, there is excellent news for you! Your sin is not your identity; the work of Christ is! We should take a praise break right here and give Him a "Thank You" and "Hallelujah."  This is a Selah moment.  It seems too good to be true! 

A shame-free life is hard to grasp, isn't it?  That is because we live in a world that continually wants to shame us.  We shame each other in church.  We shame each other on social media.  We shame each other in sports.  We shame each other in school.  We love to capitalize on each other's failures.  And so, it's hard to grasp the truth while the world is shaming you and while you are shaming yourself.

You Can Do This

Are you ready? You can do this! Acknowledge. Confess. Be forgiven. And come out from hiding. You don’t have to make a public confession or post on social media. But I want to encourage you to start by acknowledging the very thing that is producing that shame. Get a journal and confess it to the Lord. He can handle whatever you have to bring to Him. And if it makes it any easier for you, He already knows about it. 

After you have confessed it, know that He has forgiven you of it; you must believe that. I would also encourage you to find a trusted friend to confess to. I promise you, there is freedom and rest on the other side of this. 

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