June 2006

06.06.2006

ne Parson’s Opinion

Most of us have been deeply hurt by shame. We have been shamed by parents, and/or siblings, and/or peers, and/or fellow Christians, and/or pastors.
Shame differs from guilt. Guilt is what we feel because of our behavior. Shame is deeper. It addresses our worth as persons. Shamed people feel worthless, and suffer from a low self-esteem or negative self-concept. The shamed person feels defective, inadequate, unlovable and undeserving.
A person who is operating from a shame-based identity says to himself things like this:

• “I made a mistake therefore I am worthless.”


• “I spilt my milk therefore I am clumsy.”


• “My children misbehave therefore I am a lousy parent.”

I could go on and on with examples.
But let me now try to help.
If I spill my milk it does not mean I am clumsy. It means I spilt my milk.
If someone disagrees with me it does not mean I am less of a person, it means they disagreed with me.
If I make a mistake it means I made a mistake.
You see, the shamed person wants to assign to himself an identity based on his behavior. But that is not the place to get our identity.
As Christians, our identity comes from what God says about who we are, not from what we may feel about ourselves or our performance.

Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind ...”
As Christians, we were made new at conversion. We are not who we used to be. The Bible declares who we are now. So, we must renew our minds with the truth (what the Bible says about us) and walk in it.
Examples: 2 Corinthians 5:17 says I am a new creation; Romans 8:16 says I am a child of God; Romans 8:1 says I am under no condemnation; 1 Peter 1:23 says I am a royal priest; Ephesians 1:3 says I have received a spiritual blessing through Christ.
These are just a few of the verses that teach about our identity as followers of Jesus.
I encourage you to search the New Testament to learn about your identity as a child of the King and then “rest” in the truth.
Remember, your identity is not based on your feelings or performance. Rather, your identity is based on “whose” you are.

See you on the Lord’s Day,
Jim

Posted by arbc at 07:25 AM