Shame
The news lately has been abuzz with scandals and situations of inappropriate encounters. In my own life, a past situation in a workplace, made me feel uncomfortable and after letting my boss know, I was told something like, "That's not what he intended. I think you misunderstood." Shame. And then there are the women we aren't hearing from; the wives' of the men being accused of having affairs and doing unthinkable things in the workplace. Shame.
Dictionary.com defines shame as the painful feeling arising from the consciousness of something dishonorable, improper, ridiculous, etc., done by oneself or another. I remember two longterm relationships in my younger years, both ending in me finding out via others that my partner was seeing someone else. My heart, even now, skips a beat. Shame. The painful feeling arising from the consciousness of something dishonorable done by another to me!
Do I think that I or any of these wives or victims should feel shame? Absolutely not! But why do we? is my question. We didn't do anything wrong, yet we are made to feel "less than" and "invaluable" by the very people we work with, look up to, or in some cases dearly love. Now that is painful!
Now years later as a believer in Jesus Christ, I know One who will never leave me nor forsake me and thus I lay these hurts and pains at the foot of His cross. Pain, never forgot by me, but forgiven, to keep me from reliving shame I don't deserve and pain that was not mine to endure. May others who are living in shame, pain, hurt, embarrassment, and such awful feelings this time of year give it up and give it over to the One who came into the world to save the lost and heal the hurting. He bore our shame on the cross so we could walk in freedom and hope of a better future.
Dictionary.com defines shame as the painful feeling arising from the consciousness of something dishonorable, improper, ridiculous, etc., done by oneself or another. I remember two longterm relationships in my younger years, both ending in me finding out via others that my partner was seeing someone else. My heart, even now, skips a beat. Shame. The painful feeling arising from the consciousness of something dishonorable done by another to me!
Do I think that I or any of these wives or victims should feel shame? Absolutely not! But why do we? is my question. We didn't do anything wrong, yet we are made to feel "less than" and "invaluable" by the very people we work with, look up to, or in some cases dearly love. Now that is painful!
Now years later as a believer in Jesus Christ, I know One who will never leave me nor forsake me and thus I lay these hurts and pains at the foot of His cross. Pain, never forgot by me, but forgiven, to keep me from reliving shame I don't deserve and pain that was not mine to endure. May others who are living in shame, pain, hurt, embarrassment, and such awful feelings this time of year give it up and give it over to the One who came into the world to save the lost and heal the hurting. He bore our shame on the cross so we could walk in freedom and hope of a better future.
Psalm 25:3
No one who hopes in you [LORD] will ever be put to shame,
but shame will come on those who are treacherous without cause.
Comments
Post a Comment