There was a point in time when I felt a lot of shame. I had fallen into sin, and it felt like I didn’t deserve to be in a relationship with God. God must be mad at me, right? I mean, He had already given me so much grace, but I just kept messing it up. I was addicted to self-harm. I knew God didn’t want me to harm my body. I knew my body was a temple for God, but I didn’t know how to stop. Everyone has something that they’re ashamed of, so I’d like to share how I learned to overcome my shame.
First, I’d like to address the lie that God is mad because we messed up, and that we should be ashamed of our sin. This is a lie and it directly contradicts the character of God. Satan uses our shame to try to separate us from God (think of how Adam and Eve hid after eating the fruit in the garden), but the truth is, God knew you were going to sin even before you were born, and guess what? He still chose to love you, and He is faithful to those who love Him.
“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Jeremiah 31:34. This verse is God talking to the Israelites during the time of the judges. This is a period of time where the Israelites kept on messing up and breaking their covenant with God. Even though God did discipline His people, He never abandoned them. He repeatedly comforts them and assures them of His love and forgiveness. God even says that He will remember their sins no more. God doesn’t remember you by your sin.
Next, I’d like to address the feeling that you don’t deserve Christ and His forgiveness. The truth is you don’t. No one does. No one deserves God’s forgiveness and that’s why God’s forgiveness is so good. You need to reframe your way of thinking from “I don’t deserve God, so I need to distance myself” to “I don’t deserve God, so I need to cling to Him more.”
Finally, don’t hold onto your sin. Do you think about your sin more than you think about God? If you do, then you’re idolizing your sin. It’s common for Christians to feel shame in their sin, but don’t let it come in between you and God. God forgets your sins as soon as He forgives them, and God doesn’t keep score of all the times you’ve messed up. He wants you to come to Him, even in your shame and brokenness.