Where Shame Reigns

I'm becoming more convinced that we need to take the issue of shame more seriously. How we purvey it...how we are driven by it...how we are limited by it...

What shame is not...it's probably good to clarify because our culture tends to make all kinds of good but tough things into synonyms for shame....and subsequently rejects opportunities to grow. Constructive criticism...not shame. Discipline in and of itself...not shame. Conviction...not shame. 

What shame is...so sadly, it's spit on someone's soul. A direct assault on identity...implicating and condemning the value of one's existence. A person's worth depends on behavior or appearance. Instead of "I made a mistake.", it's "I am a mistake."

And sadly...once planted...it's hard to uproot. Time and time again, I interact with people who are owned by a shame-based grid. They suspect, they assume, they control, they have knee-jerk reactions...all based on a lie of shame or in extreme defense of old shame wounds.

Sigh. It's a crazy vortex to be caught up in...where shame reigns.

Thankfully, it's not God's heart for anyone!!! Nor does He want us to express it as His message to the world.

So, I'm spending some quality time...especially in light of a few tough interactions...evaluating my own junk. Taking time to rest in God's blessing of identity and considering my own grid.  Opposing shame with soulful affirmation. Praying for freedom for bound hearts...and restoration of community in broken places.