For many years of my life, I battled with shame and often times, shame won. If we are honest with ourselves, the guilt, embarrassment, unworthiness, and / or disgrace we feel about events, circumstances that have happened to us or around us is real. In several of my situations, it wasn’t even because I had done anything horrible per se. Actually, in one situation, I had no control over it, but still, I felt shame as the result. Shame walked with me everywhere, it whispered loud enough to fill my head with insecurities that weighed me down. It prevented me from being happy. It told me that everywhere I went, people were talking about my situation and that they knew about it. It told me that I would not / could not hold my head up high.
In addition to the actual shame, sometimes, just the fear of shame would get to me. What if I do all of this and not get a return? What if I love wholeheartedly and end up being embarrassed and alone again? What if this venture doesn’t work out and I become the talk of the town, or worse, the laughing stock of the town? What if people find out that my family is in this situation and it changes their perception of me?
All of these feelings often led to a deep funk that I could not pull myself out of. I didn’t want to talk about it because shame told me that my “image” would be destroyed. As a result, I often crawled deep in my shell and operated on a surface level with others. Shame doesn’t only impact you – it impacts how you relate to others, it impacts how others see you, it impacts how you carry yourself.
Yes, we all at times feel a sense of shame, guilt, or embarrassment. But the intent is not for a child of God to stay there and keep the shame song on repeat. And of course, the word of God has much to say about shame:
Psalm 34:5 says that “Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.” What an encouragement! As I trust in God and get my sustenance from him, I will not be shamed. He shall deliver me, he will make his face shine upon me. He will make his light shine in me. He will vindicate me. He will rescue me.
In Psalm 31:17, David cries out to God, “Let me not be put to shame oh Lord, for I have cried out to you.” And I have said this prayer quite a few times. God, as I step out here, let me not be put to shame. As I face this situation, let me not be put to shame. As people find out about my situation, let me not be put to shame. Take the shame and turn in into my victory! As I cry out to you, I declare that I will not be put to shame because it is not my portion.
And out of them all, this scripture is one of my favorites when I face the threat of shame – It encourages me, it challenges me, it speaks to my soul. Psalm 24:7-10 says: (v.7) “Lift up your head oh ye gates, be lifted up you ancient doors that the King of glory may come in.”
I know that if I allow the gates and doors of my heart and mind to be open and let the King of Glory to come in, my situation has to change, my feelings about myself and my issues have to be altered to conform to His Word. Lift up your heads no matter what your situation may be and let the King of Glory do what He needs to do. He has already taken your shame on the cross. You don’t have to carry it around with you. Lift up your heads and believe in the King of Glory. He is faithful to do what he promised. Lift up your head because when your head is down, you can see nothing positive. Lift up your head, the King of Glory wants to come in and Psalm 3:3 says that the Lord is the lifter of our heads.
I know that if I allow the gates and doors of my heart and mind to be open and let the King of Glory to come in, my situation has to change, my feelings about myself and my issues have to be altered to conform to His Word. Lift up your heads no matter what your situation may be and let the King of Glory do what He needs to do. He has already taken your shame on the cross. You don’t have to carry it around with you. Lift up your heads and believe in the King of Glory. He is faithful to do what he promised. Lift up your head because when your head is down, you can see nothing positive. Lift up your head, the King of Glory wants to come in and Psalm 3:3 says that the Lord is the lifter of our heads.
And as I close, I can’t help but sing Byron Cage’s chorus “Thou oh Lord are a shield for me, my glory, the lifter of my head. Thank you for lifting, Thank you for lifting, Thank you for lifting my head Lord!”
Anonymous
June 26, 2013This post was right on time! Shame has a way of keeping us down if we let it. I have to remind myself that Jesus has already paid the price and He will lift me up!
-Waitee
J.Harris
June 26, 2013I am glad that you were touched! Yes, daily, moment by moment, we have to keep reminding ourselves that we are what God says we are…and block out all other emotions…Thanks for reading!
Anonymous
July 5, 2013Thanks for this post, and the scriptures. You, are very brave to write about this topic.
J.Harris
July 8, 2013@Anonymous – Thank you for reading. I pray that God gives me grace to continue to share His word on the things that we don't always say to others.