The Lie of Shame

Have you ever felt such shame about something that didn’t want to tell anybody? I have.

There are things I’ve done that I’m embarrassed of. There are other things that were done to me that made me feel ashamed. When I think about those things, I cringe inside with shame, but the truth is that we can feel shame, and yet not allow it to control us.

How the Enemy Keeps Us in Bondage

At one time, I thought I could never tell some of the things that happened to me. I thought I would take some things to the grave because shame that even the thought of those things made me feel, and what I thought other people would think of me. That’s the lie of shame. The truth is that Jesus bore our shame on the cross and most people have gone through hard things and made mistakes too.

Not telling our “secrets” allows shame and guilt to grow into strongholds. 

Jesus doesn’t want us to live in open shame or secret chains. Whether we were the victim or we made foolish mistakes of our own, His blood cleanses all things and His grace affords us the favor of new life.

Women are often afraid that telling their stories for fear it will bring more shame, embarrassment and rejection but that’s a lie. Sharing our stories with other women free us and them from shame and disarms the enemy from using our secrets to keep us in bondage and fear.

How I Disarmed Shame

I remember when I told the women at my church during our yearly conference that I had an abortion.

I had not planned on telling my story, I had been carrying  the secret shame of it for years. In obedience to the Holy Spirit, I stood before those women as the women’s ministry leader and told my story.

Instead of shame a sense freedom came. It was like a weight lifted off my shoulders. Then other women came forward and got delivered from the shame of their “secrets.” I heard some many stories that day and I got so many emails and text messages thanking me for sharing my story.

Sharing Your Story

Beloved, if you are carrying guilt and shame about something that was done to you or that you did, I urge you to find a safe person or group of women that you can tell your story to who will not judge you, make you feel ashamed but will cover you, protect you and continue to accept you. I think you may be pleasantly surprised by the responses you get, but you won’t know unless you try.