SHAME.
I hate this word. But even more, I hate what this word does to me.
I’ve always taught my kids not to hate, reminding them that Jesus is all about love. And that our greatest contribution to the world is loving others well.
But they have permission to hate shame — hate everything about it.
Sweet friend, I give you that same permission.
Because there’s no place for it in our life. And there’s nothing that will rob us of joy and purpose faster because it makes us doubt ourselves.
I know that first hand. My guess is you do too.
For most of my life, shame has crushed my spirit. It’s disabled my heart from loving how God made me and redirected the ways I’ve determined my worth. It’s pointed a condemning finger at those places that remind me I’m nothing special.
Shame tells me that who I am… isn’t good enough. And it’s message has been relentless.
It’s left me feeling that if people really knew me… they’d see there was nothing good in me. And they’d leave.
I can feel the tears welling up just typing out those words, because shame is heavy. And when I let my heart reconnect with it, it hurts.
It’s a very deep tangle in our souls, and it tightens knots we may not even know are there.
Do you ever wonder why those things trigger you? Or why you react differently to those situations? Or why you lash out when that happens? Chances are… it’s rooted in shame.
Friends, God is still working this tangle out in me. It’s a big one, and it’s weaved into every area of my life.
What about you? How is shame playing out in your life?
Where is it knotting you up right now?
This week, we’re going to unpack shame. We’re going to get a better grasp of where and how it’s choking our self-worth, and then learn how to place it at the feet of Jesus… the only One who can untangle it from our heart.
I’m so honored to partner with my friend Julie Thomas from Women Who Believe. God has anointed her to speak directly into the heart of women. And you’ll see what I mean…
So grab your coffee… find some sacred space… and click HERE to start Day 1/Week 1 of our summer study.
We’re going to be talking about SHAME in the Untangled Women community on Facebook. The group is for you. I hope to see you there.
