Good
Morning All!!
Genesis 3:7;
“Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And
they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.”
Just like that; just that
quick innocence was lost. Yet something
far more profound is occurring in this verse.
The verse immediately preceding this one tells of Adam and Eve eating
the fruit they were supposed to leave alone. The most immediate effect of sin
was and still oftentimes is- shame.
Shame is a destructive guilt inducing reaction to an event.
Even as many parents, teachers, coaches and
other authority figures will often use shame as a method of encouraging or
inducing proper behavior; the vast majority of psychologists will tell you that
you cannot shame someone into better behavior.
Shaming another person only leads to guilt, feelings of inadequacy, loss
of worth and a belief that they are unworthy of love. Shaming leads to guilt- period end of
discussion. This is why the devil
introduces us to shame at an early age.
When we feel shame we go right to guilt and the devil loves for us to
feel guilt.
When you think about it, why do most people
avoid personal confession of sins to another person? Chances is are, we feel shame admitting that
we look at pornography on the internet, or have lusted after a friend’s spouse,
or thought some very unkind things about a fellow Christian. We don’t want anyone to know how we really
are. So we hide, or try to, just as Adam
and Eve did. We pull something on to
cover our shame and then we hide so no one can find us. Then as we hide, we cower, afraid that
someone will find out that we really are naked and full of shame.
Perhaps the greatest shaming is what we do
to ourselves. The devil and the world
will help by pointing out our flaws but it is our sinful nature that gets the
“shame walk” on the move. We beat ourselves
up and decide that we are unlovable and without hope; just where the devil
wants you to live.
Yet God comes looking for you just like he
did Adam and Eve and he comes to you as a loving father looks for a lost
child. He calls out your name inviting
you into the safety of his loving arms.
He invites you to feel the warmth of his love and the comfort of his
mercy. He invites you to find rest and
peace in his arms; a place to lose your shame.
God knows what you did and he loves you regardless of what you did. Yet God is not about your past; he is about
your future. He forgives your past so
that your future is bright and filled with hope, filled with his grace.
The world wants to fill you with shame but
God wants to fill you with his love.
This is a love that can move you to love others, but above all, to love
yourself.
Father, free me from my
shame. Fill my heart with your
incredible love. Fill me with your
Spirit that I might be cleansed of the pain of shame. Heal my soul, refresh my spirit, lift me from
the pit that I may see your face. Show
me your kindness with no end. In the
precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.
God’s
Peace,
Pastor
Bret
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