No More Shame!

The very first emotion that Adam and Eve experienced after their disobedience in the Garden of Eden was shame! According to the Free Dictionary online "shame" is: 1. a. A painful emotion caused by a strong sense of guilt, embarrassment, unworthiness, or disgrace. b. Capacity for such a feeling: e.g. Have you no shame? Shame is often confused with guilt, which is a related but distinct emotion in which a specific behavior is viewed as unacceptable or wrong, rather than the entire self. Many people are prone to shame particularly if they blame themselves for an event that causes harm or a negative outcome. Shame can be a particularly problematic emotion because it relates to how one feels about one's personal worth and value. It is associated with an overwhelming desire to hide, disappear, or in severe cases even die. "I'm so ashamed I could die" is an expression with which we are all familiar.

Shame is self-condemnation and therefore it is not necessarily based on external pressures, comments, actions or disapproval. You know what you've done and you condemn yourself. It impacts the way that a person feel about themselves as a result of stuff that's happened. It is often hard to see that someone is ashamed, that is, experiencing shame but avoidance of contact is one of the signs that can alert us. In some situations a person might even go into self-denial rather than face their own shame. When God came into the Garden of Eden to meet with Adam and Eve as was His custom, the two decided to hide from Him. When they eventually realized that they had to face their Father, they explained that they hid because they were ashamed of their nakedness. In other words, the loss of innocence and purity, meant the loss of their covering of righteousness. I believe that covering of righteousness causes a holy being to shine with beauty and brightness and its loss made Adam and Eve look so different,so "ugly" in fact that they were embarrassed. They no longer looked like their Creator. Sin had tarnished their very soul and they felt unworthy to be in His presence. Feeling ashamed is a horrible, self-destructive emotion and can lead to some very negative outcomes. But if we could get pass the shame, pass the feeling of unworthiness and turn to God, He can and will help us to move on from our shame. He will help us see where we have gone wrong and through Jesus Christ, will provide us with new covering, a cloak/coat of righteousness.

God's love for us pre-empt our shame. Before ever we have done a wrong thing, before we sin against Him, He provided for our forgiveness. He planned for our redemption before the foundations of the earth was laid! He sent His only Begotten Son to die in our place. Jesus took our sin and shame and gave us His holiness and a place in the royal family of God again! We just have to ask, be genuinely sorry and turn away from our past. When we accept God's gift, Jesus as our Substitute, our Redeemer and personal Savior, there is no condemnation. He purifies us and makes us a whole new creature from head to toe! Paul explained rather well in Romans 8:1, "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus." That is, no condemnation by any person, by Satan, or by oneself! If Jesus does not condemn us - "And Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more'" - then we can surely get pass the shame of any thing we've done wrong, ANYTHING!

We need only to run to Jesus and cast all our cares upon Him knowing that He always cares for us and longs to save us from our shame and our sins. Friends, brethren,we do not yet know what we shall be like when Jesus returns and we join Him in glory but "we know when He shall appear, we shall be like Him and we shall see Him as He is" in ALL His blazing glory. Revelation 21:3 tells us that "The city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light." This is truly an awesome future! And what's more we too shall shine, reflecting His glory as the moon reflects the Sun! What a wonderful end to shame! Give it to Jesus and share in this divine destiny! Blessings Forevermore. LadyZaidie