Shame Is Not Your Story!
Photo by Catalin Pop
The heart of the Lord is to help His children. Psalm 116:2 says, “Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!” (NLT).
God does not hold you at a distance.
He has not rejected you.
He has not written you off as a lost cause.
You are His beloved child, and you have His attention in the best, and safest, of ways.
Some of us understand His love mentally, but we don’t really believe it in our heart. This can be especially true when we feel we have a reason, or a list of reasons, He might not love us anymore.
“I made a mistake.”
“I went too far. I crossed a line.”
“I knew better, but I did it anyway.”
“I’m not good at being a Christian. I keep messing up. God doesn’t want me.”
Many believers in Jesus are afraid to draw close to Him and trust Him because they know they messed up. One common area where people struggle with this is sexual impurity. “I did what I knew I shouldn’t do. I completely destroyed God’s plan for my life.”
Those emotions can feel so intense that we hide instead of drawing near to Him, the way He wants. Whenever we listen to shame, we will have a hard time believing everything the Bible says about the Father-heart of God and how He bends down to listen to His children.
Shame doesn’t have the power to nullify Psalm 116:2. Therefore:
You are safe with God even when you believe you don’t deserve that safety.
The compassion of the Lord is a steady theme throughout Scripture. Do any of the following stories remind you of your own story?
God’s people did what He told them not to do, but when they were in trouble and cried out to Him, He still sent someone to save them: Judges 3:7–11.
A woman slept with a man who wasn’t her husband, and she got exposed in the worst of ways. But Jesus did not condemn her: John 8:2–11.
God’s people rejected His words. They arrogantly decided to do what they wanted instead, but when they cried out to Him for help, He still came and saved them: Psalm 107:10–16.
Every time you feel intense shame, remember those three stories. Because of Jesus and what He did on the cross, you get to repent and run to the Lord when you are in trouble, and He will save you.
As a Father, He is sensitive to the cries of His children.
That is true even when those children have messed up and sinned. When they cry out to Him, He bends down to listen. He doesn’t condemn them, but He helps them (see John 3:17).
If you are struggling with shame today, don’t hide. Instead, pray. “God, please come and help me. I need You.” He is your Father, and He loves you more than you think.
If you want to find healing and grow in your relationship with God, join one of our BTO groups. Click here to find out more!
Your heavenly Father loves you more than you realize! For more about His amazing, unending love, check out Becoming the One by Salomé Roat. Click here to learn more. The book is also available in Spanish.