May 8, 2023
What shame are you struggling with? What shame do you want to let go of?
In Journey Church’s “My Life’s a Mess” series, people who were a part of the in person service last Sunday placed in trash cans cards on which they’d written the shame they want to get rid of with God’s help. Here’s some of what they wrote:
I’m letting go of the shame . . .
Of my addiction
Of the ways I’ve treated others unfairly in the past
Of judging people
Of my extramarital affair
Of my financial failure
Of being molested
Of trying to be somebody I’m not
Of fighting with my sister
Of my behavior after my return from Viet Nam
Of giving up
Of my abortion years ago
Of hurting those I love
Of past bad decisions
Of my spouse’s drinking
Of inconsistency in my business
Of my past failures
Of not knowing how to repair my relationship with my wife
Of my unforgivingness
When you experience shame, remember the teaching of scripture:
See what amazing love the Father has given us! Because of it, we are called children of God. And that’s what we really are! 1 John 3:1a (NIRV)
For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2b (CSB)
-Michael