Shackles of Shame

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"Shackles of Shame" By Diane Webb

Psalms 25: 3—"Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgresses without cause."

In the previous verse, David asks the Lord not to let him be ashamed. Then, in verse three, he expands this request to include all God's people. The shame David refers to is related to being a victim of transgression. Many people who have been victimized in some way have shame attached to the incident. They feel like they, for some reason, are the ones who are wrong. Victims of childhood abuse grow up feeling ashamed. Sufferers of domestic violence are ashamed and do not tell. People hide behind a mask when on the inside they are crying and ashamed. We fall on the sidewalk and are embarrassed as if we committed some crime. In the emergency room we apologize for our injuries. David seems to be aware of this tendency when he prays. Verse three is one of the instances in the Bible where we, today, are being included in a prayer. How great to be prayed for by one who God considered "a man after my own heart" (Acts 13: 22). Anyone who waits on God is included in David's prayer. Anyone who is with God can let go of shame—especially shame related to someone else's sin. David has covered you in his prayer to be free of shame. His prayer also asks God to let those who do the transgressing without cause to be ashamed. Aren't all transgressions without cause? Have you ever been a victim of someone else's behavior, yet felt, somehow, responsible? Do you blame yourself when others hurt you? Do they blame you? Many victims of abuse in the home are taught to believe if they acted a certain way or did things a certain way then they would not be abused. Other people adopt this mentality as a way of retaining a false sense of personal power. A prevailing sense of shame is recognized by the presence of blame. How much time does a family spend on assigning blame? Is finger-pointing a common practice in the home? Do you say "I'm sorry" too many times to count? These are indicators of shame. Shame is different from regret. When we regret, we are aware of a mistake or transgression we have made and we are sorry. We ask for forgiveness and move on. We accept responsibility for the error and are willing to make amends or suffer the consequences of our actions. Shame, on the other hand, is a lowering of self. Shame puts us on a level that is less than others. We, as Christians, will naturally regret our mistakes and transgressions. This regret motivates us to improve ourselves and our behavior. Shame, on the other hand, does just the opposite. Shame motivates people to lower themselves or their circumstances. Shame keeps people from realizing their full potential. Shame causes us to perpetually punish ourselves without realizing it. We turn down opportunities because we don't feel worthy. We don't think we are good enough for a spouse who treats us well. We don't feel important enough to get a call back from our doctor. Shame is a tool used by others to keep us down and hold us back from fulfilling God's will in our life. It is not of God and does not serve a Godly purpose. Search the corners of your heart and ferret out any shame that is lingering there from the past. If you have truly done something wrong ask the Lord for forgiveness and, if possible, make amends. If, however, your shame is related to something another person did, remember David's prayer for you and extinguish the shame. Do not honor shame.

Dear Lord, help me overcome the shackle of shame. I give it to you Lord and do not need to carry it around any longer. I ask for and accept your forgiveness for my mistakes and transgressions. I understand I am never responsible for the sins of another person. Help me Lord, remember this today. I ask in the name of Jesus, Amen.