SHAME has been dealt with in Jesus, through the work He has done on the cross in overcoming and being raised into NEW LIFE.

looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Heb 12: 2

… they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. As it is written:

“Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense,
And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” Romans 9:32-33

On the other hand, Satan can rule over us using SHAME.

Then SHAME filters what we hear and experience, giving us its interpretation.

SHAME holds us captive to abide by its rules.  What are the rules for SHAME? 

To live according to SELF, which is the FLESH.  To trust our feelings and to obey our fears and insecurities.  When SHAME keeps us bound in the flesh and according to this world we will not know that there is LIFE beyond being bound! 

An attribute of SHAME is that we find comfort in hiding and fear of being exposed. Why? We feel like we’re never able to measure up and must prove our worth. Where do we obtain our worth and value? From others, culture, and society. We never measure up because the lies SHAME tell us are what we believe. We usually become the world’s best caretakers, but not when it comes to ourselves! We are deceived by SHAME because most of us are relatively successful and lead productive lives.

SHAME is Satan’s tool and language that he uses to control us. 

We think SHAME is part of us, but it is not.  It is like a giant leech that latches onto us, and begins sucking the life out of us, and feeding us poisonous lies.  We live on its lies.  But are we really living? 

When SHAME is active in us, we are powerless, and so a great deal of our issues will have to do with control. Eating disorders stem from a need for control, and most certainly are rooted in SHAME, as are a fair number of addictions.

SHAME can also lead us to become chameleon-like. We comply with what we believe others expect from us. We often resort to passive-aggressive communication. We suffer with bouts of resentment and repressed anger.

When we see SHAME through the lens of truth, we will recognize how it has taught us to lie to ourselves, to others and to God. 

Praise the Lord on the day we acknowledge SHAME exists in us!

Jesus despised SHAME, when it came knocking on His door while he hung on the cross bearing the world’s sins.    Jesus broke the power of sin, and so He broke the power of SHAME too. 

There is a way out of the cycle SHAME assigns us!  The instructions are found in Romans 8.  It involves no longer putting faith and trust in SHAME, but in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Before we can do this, we must acknowledge that SHAME has been what we have allowed to rule us, and we surrender it to the Lord, as it rears its ugly head daily.  We recognize the lie it tells us, and we find the truth in the Word to stand on instead. 

We must understand that we have had a ‘love affair’ with SHAME for a great deal of our lives, and SHAME will not leave without a fight.  That is why we must be vigilant in denying it a place any longer; otherwise, we will slip back into its rule and order.   SHAME is a partner that has done us no good and only wants to destroy us, and we need to address it as a threat and danger to us. 

Prayer can be like this:

I see how SHAME has dominated my life, and how I thought it was just me.  I acknowledge this Lord, and see it as a lie and sin.  I receive the cleansing that the blood of Jesus gives us, and it no longer has power, place and influence in me.  ‘For there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit!’  Help me, starting today, to recognize the places that are broken, where SHAME has occupied, so I may invite you to come and bring Your LIFE that heals me, amen.