SHAME

I don't feel shame is equal to feeling guilty. We can feel guilty for doing wrong without feeling totally worthless.

I think shame carries with it a sense of utter lack of esteem. And I don't believe that is what God wants us to feel.

For we need to accept that we do wrong and understand the consequences. That is the part that I feel gets ignored.

For it can be hard to accept we are not angels or good. That in reality we are sinners no how much we try to be otherwise.

This is not intended as a negative observation. Just merely how we must be prepared to see ourselves as God see us.

Such is a difficult and sometimes nearly impossible task. So often when we fail at something there is a need to justify the behavior.

What is lost in the process is the truth. If we can't face who we really are we will never discover the root of our problems.

And if shame prevents us from looking into the mirror and seeing the truth reflection it will not lead to growth. But it is hard to take the look.

It is always said to see such gifted people involved in avoiding a sense of shame. Of being unable to say, hey I goofed up because I'm a sinner.

This is the part of life the Devil loves to attack. And if he succeeds then we will keep replaying the same fairy tales to rationalize our sins.

When we do this it can certainly buffer any shame. But it also keep us from any truths. We can just cling to our delusions and be happy.

How much we love to see ourselves as good. To be honestly be able to see that we never hurt others on purpose.

But then that is never reality. Oh we do vary in our degrees of sin, but it doesn't mean an of us is perfect.

What happens to often is when we do sin, we start wanting to bargain. Tell the Lord, but I did this and that so that offset what I just did wrong.

It never does, but sure helps us feel free from the feeling of shame. At least on the surface, but no in the soul For inside where our thoughts travel we know the truth and can't hide from it.