Scripture of the Week:
Hebrews 12:2 (NLT)
“We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”
Shame RX of the week:
When our worth is not based on our performance, we are free from shame.
Stepping up to home plate, my son gave me the look that we would exchange every time before he was ready to bat. One look – one glance at one another – in which I gave him courage with all that I could communicate with my eyes and body language and he shot back a response of, “I got this, mom.”
Only problem was, he was facing the wrong direction. Full of confidence, he waved his bat right at the umpire. He would have felt no shame had laughter and confusion not ensued. But there he was, all eyes on him wondering what in the world he was up to. “Turn around, son! The pitcher is the other direction”.
It was his first baseball game. There would be many years of watching him grow into a stellar all-star athlete, but it all started with this moment. To say that he was a bit embarrassed for such a blunder would be an understatement. But one thing I love about my son is that he gives all he has to everything he puts his hand to. Rather than hanging out in the shame, he laughed it off and the next time he was up to bat, he gave me the same look we would exchange for years before he threw himself fully into the task. And whack! Shame did not hold him down that day, after all.
There are many secrets to be found in this lesson I learned from my son many years ago. Being free from shame is not an easy task—but it is possible.
[Tweet “When our worth is not based on our performance, we are free from shame.”]
Shame is not based on our performance.
When our worth is not based on our performance, we are free from shame. My son could have beaten himself up for his silly mistake. He did not even worry about it. How often do we replay things in our minds, wishing we had done better? But there are beautiful lessons to learn from our mistakes if we are open. Then just laugh it off and dive in to the next lesson. Maybe the next time we will perform better than we thought we could. Either way, we don’t get the glory or the shame when all we do His for One.
[Tweet “We don’t get the glory or the shame when all we do His for One.”]
Shame from the outside can be extinguished.
We often don’t feel shame until others around us make us aware. Things on the outside don’t have to make it to the inside. We have a choice. My son could have looked at everyone around him jeering and ran away and hid, only that would have drawn more attention to himself. And isn’t that one of the secrets of shame? It is attention. Negative attention. From the masses. But rather or not it is a few or many who would try to cast shame upon us, shame does not have to reach us if we put shame out with truth. This was my son’s first game. He was not expected to be a professional. The pressure’s off.
[Tweet “Things on the outside don’t have to make it to the inside. We have a choice.”]
One moment in time could never define us.
People’s comments or opinions could never define us based on one moment in time. We will all have glorious and not so glorious moments. It’s what we do with all of those moments that makes the difference.
[Tweet “Shame does not have to reach us if we put shame out with truth.”]
Living life above the sting of shame is a choice. Will we be free from shame? The decision truly is up to us. Our Savior chose to come to free a people not just from their sins, but from shame, too. He chose to come and save us by walking through shame and disregarding it. We can, too.