Without Shame

Adam and Eve were "naked and without shame." They were created in God's image and they experienced themselves, each other, and life without shame.

Shame, in my life, distorts and corrupts the reality of who I really am. I am also created in God's image, and I am redeemed by the One who carried my shame... Yet I often carry, deep within me, the inner voices that declare I am inadequate, not good enough, less-than, shame-ful, guilt-ful, or not-as-good-as.

So... I have been thinking about... what is the opposite of shame? If Christ has carried my shame, and if I let him... then what is the opposite of shame that I might be experiencing.

My conclusion is that the opposite of shame is "being delighted in."

This corresponds with Scripture who describes a God who "delights" in me, who "rejoices over me with singing," and who calls me the "City of God's Delight" ("hephzibah", I believe, is the hebrew word).

Being translated from inner shame to an inner confidence that I am delighted in is, I believe, at the core of true conversion. I don't believe we can enter into an encounter with the cross, ask for and receive forgiveness based on the sacrifice of Christ, and ignore that He has carried all of our sin and all of our shame and all of the "old tapes" of who we are... and that He has made us new... new... like unto Him... without shame... delighted in... treasured by Him because we really are treasures!

Comments

[Paula]

That is what I needed to read today. Thank you for posting it.

[Seyeh]

I've been trying to come to terms with my own sense of shame and trying to find out how to feed in myself that which is opposite to shame. Clearly the shame I am working on is not the ritualized public shame of a shame/honor society, but rather the condemning that we might call "self-judgement". I also really needed to read what you've written. Thank God for the internet!

[Fawohodi Imosay]

thank you for your blog...I needed to know what to replace the shame with...I know Jesus died for my sins and transgressions...that He took away the shame...I lacked understanding in what He gave me for instead of shame...Honor...Delight...Treasure...WOW...thank you Jehovah Jireh the provider of all I need...thanks for sharing

[Me]

Simply beautiful. Amen.