Shame

When shame drives us to the cross and brings forth repentance within us, we can see God using it to draw us to Himself. However, when Satan convinces us that shame has to do with identity - not I did something wrong, but I am wrong - shame becomes neurotic guilt.

•   we obsess about whatever it is that makes us feel shame

•   we become anxious - yet God tells us to be anxious for nothing, but in everything by 
prayer and petition, present your requests unto God.

•   chokes out Truth - it’s like a weed that overtakes a garden b/c we continue to feed it 
by focusing our thoughts on it and how it affects us, rather than focusing on God

•   inhibits our ability to live free and abundant lives - but Jesus said, “I have come to 
give you life and give it to the full.”

•   Shame overwhelms us and we feel exposed or buried in a deep pit

The Bible links shame with trouble, sorrow and despair 

Honor is the opposite of shame

Defined: respect, worth, merit, distinction, privilege, glory, prestige, esteem, admiration The solution for shame: Fix your eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of faith.
2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 
Hebrews 12:2 | NLT 

What is your response to God’s mercy and grace?

1. Confess sin and realize it no longer enslaves you (Romans 6)

2. Love (Ephesians 5:1-2)

3. Live honorably (Hebrews 13:18)

4.  Delight in the LORD (Isaiah 58:13b-14a)

5. Do not Fear (Isaiah 54:4)

Next Steps - Psalm 119

1) Do what God has commanded you to do today.
1 Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord.

2) Memorize a verse this month. Saturate yourself with Truth.
 Psalm 119:11" I have hidden Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You. 24 Your laws please me; they give me wise advice."

3) Allow God to make beauty from your ashes. Be encouraged that no tear is wasted and speak the Truth of Scripture to yourself.
 Psalm 119:28 "I weep with sorrow; encourage me by Your word.
29 Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing Your instructions."

4) Be honest when you are tempted to be defined by your shame, rather than by God's Truth.

•   What thought is behind what I am currently feeling? 


•   Is it a lie I need to identify, renounce and counter with Truth? 


•   Is it something I need to confess and receive forgiveness for? 


•   Claim the Truth! (You are forgiven and free, loved, fearfully and wonderfully made, your life has purpose, you are not alone.) Psalm 119:31 "I cling to Your laws. Lord, don’t let me be put to shame! "


•   5) Make space for a Sabbath 
“And I gave them My Sabbath days of rest as a sign between them and Me. It was to remind them that I am the Lord, who had set them apart to be holy.”
 Ezekiel 20:12 | NLT 


Written by Renee VW

E-Devo Links

Here are 2 e-devotionals that are worth subscribing to...

Finding Balance is a Christian eating and body image resource that has a daily devotional. Check it out at http://www.findingbalance.com/resources/dv/

Megan Osborne is an author who has published books to equip parents to help teach their children to love the body God gave them.  She has recently started a weekly newsletter that I would invite you to check out as well as her books at
http://www.shapedwithlove.com/?mc_cid=da5310a401&mc_eid=02fcb30cc1

Image

You hear people talking about body image all the time but what does that really mean? What is an image? How is our image created? Who is our image for? How is our image formed?

When you think of the word image, what comes to mind? For some of you it may be a physical picture of something like a photograph. For others is may be a mental picture of what something looks like on a warm summer day. Still for others it may conjure up the notion of how a person is viewed by others or themselves.

As with any complex topic, the answers are not straightforward.  As I studied how the word image was used in the Bible, I discovered a few more striking things.

First, the word image was used in only two ways: to describe the image of God or to describe an idol. It becomes apparent that the word image involves the two ideas of representation and manifestation. Manifestation means something that makes clear.  Biblically speaking, God’s image.  Representation means one that is a portrayal of something else, like a statue or an idol.  This is striking because images can quickly become idols if we are not careful. 

Second, in Genesis 1:27 it says that we were “created in the image of God”. That is pretty amazing in itself. What that means is that we are designed to reflect God’s image just like the moon reflects the sun. That is our purpose.

Third, I discovered in looking at the Hebrew root words, there are 7 different words used to describe an idol but only one used to describe the image of God. A reminder that while there may be many other things we can worship, there is only one true God.

Fourth, all of these Hebrew words used to describe an image were accompanied by words like graven, molten, golden, fashioned, which implies that these images were created by man and not by God. Don’t we do the same thing when we become preoccupied with creating our own image and how we look to others, both externally and internally?

Fifth, I found that every reference to the word image in the Old Testament outside of Genesis was used to describe an idol. Whereas, in the New Testament, the word image is only used when talking about the image of God. We must be careful not to let our image to become distorted.  The New Testament shares the good news of Jesus Christ and if we focus on Him, we will be less likely to get off track. 

So how does this relate to body image? God cares about your physical bodies and how we treat them. God also cares about our image both how we view ourselves and how we appear to others. Problems arise when we disagree or take pride in or credit for God’s design. To despise our bodies or our image is to despise the gift God has given us.  If we are fearfully and wonderfully made like Psalm 139 describes, then that leaves no room for disagreement with our Creator’s design.  Isaiah 64:8 says “We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” God has taken great care to design and create you just like the potter does with his clay.  Everyone’s body and image can bring glory and pleasure to God because we are created for His glory and His pleasure.  

Remember, our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) so we need to ensure that they bring glory and honor to God in the way we care for and view ourselves. Its harder to despise yourself when you think of yourself as a masterpiece created perfectly and intricately woven by God isn’t it? Beloved, dwell on the image of you and your body as reflected by your Creator! Now that is something to smile about!

Idolatry

When the topic of idolatry came up in one of my Bible Studies, I thought I was finally going to be off the hook that week. I felt confident that I didn’t struggle with idolatry because in my mind the worship of idols meant carved statues like those described in the Old Testament.  It meant not worshipping God but something fashioned by man and since I wasn’t bowing down to any statues, I thought I was good. However, from the moment I began that study, I realized that idolatry meant worshipping something more than just carved statues and I was guilty of it, in fact very guilty of it.

God opened my eyes to see that idolatry means “ANYTHING we try to put in a place where God belongs” (Moore). Read this definition…

Inappropriate devotion to something or someone which holds illicit leverage over decisions, priorities, time or resources…whoa! I was forced to ask myself who or what was occupying these roles in my life and I unfortunately discovered that while God was on the list, he wasn’t at the top. People pleasing seemed to be at the top and all my decisions, my priorities, my time and my resources were devoted to people first not God.  I was deceiving myself.  Keeping the people in my life happy seemed easier than dealing with conflict or disappointment or failure. I became enslaved to them not God and fear left me entrapped in a scenario I unknowingly created.  

Another way of defining idolatry is based on the idea of putting your faith in something other than God. By putting my faith in others, I was continually disappointed because they are human. God designed us to have empty spaces in our lives that are meant to be filled by God and God alone. However, we try to fill those places with other things that we think will satisfy us.  Those things can take on the forms of work, shopping, addictions, eating disorders, self, others, your kids, your spouse, astrology etc. But these things leave us empty and dry. 

God offers us streams of living water. He invites us to drink deeply from His eternal source. God wants us to know that He is enough. He is all we need to fill our emptiness.  It was in the loneliest and darkest places in my life where I discovered that God is enough and by recalibrating my list, placing God at the top, changed everything. 

Beloved, are you ready for a change? Put God at the top of your list and be filled.

Resources:
Beth Moore: Breaking Free Bible Study
Beth Moore: Praying God's Word