God’s Word is revelation of God’s awesomeness and a narrative of humanity’s unrelenting journey of brokenness and shame. When I started trying to understand shame, i found many examples in God’s Word of the many ways evil tries to shame us. When we read over these, think about your life right now. Do any of these speak to you?
Adam and Eve: the shame of nakedness:
10 And he said, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” Genesis 3:10
They had done the one thing God told them not to do and in doing so they were ashamed and afraid to face God.
Abraham and Sarah: the shame of barrenness:
16 Abram’s wife, Sarai, had not borne any children for him, but she owned an Egyptian slave named Hagar. Genesis 16:1
Thankfully, we no longer shame women in today’s world who are unable to have children. During Biblical times this was a huge deal. We read many times in the Bible of women who were barren and unable to have children. Elizabeth was barren and old when an angel of the Lord appeared to Zachariah in the temple and said His wife would conceive. This situation reminds me of when our sin causes our lives to take bad turns. when what we should be doing, we do not and what we should not be doing, we do. The world has a standard of expectation and when we fall short, it is quick to shame us.
YOu know what the Lord told them:
15 After these events, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:
Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield;
your reward will be very great.
2 But Abram said, “Lord God, what can you give me, since I am childless and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 Abram continued, “Look, you have given me no offspring, so a slave born in my house will be my heir.”4 Now the word of the Lord came to him: “This one will not be your heir; instead, one who comes from your own body will be your heir.” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “Your offspring will be that numerous.”
Genesis 15:1-4
We DO NOT define who we are. God defines who we are. You can hear Abraham speak with shame. What can you do Lord, I am without a child to pass on anything you give me. Then God spoke a promise over him. We need to always grasp the promises of God and never let them go. Only He defines us.
Gideon: the shame of weakness and hiding:
11 The angel of the Lord came, and he sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash, the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress in order to hide it from the Midianites. 12 Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “The Lord is with you, valiant warrior.” 13 Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened? And where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about? They said, ‘Hasn’t the Lord brought us out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to Midian.” 14 The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and deliver Israel from the grasp of Midian. I am sending you!” 15 He said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Look, my family is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s family.”16 “But I will be with you,” the Lord said to him. “You will strike Midian down as if it were one man.” Judges 6:11-16
Gideon was small in stature. He belong to a tribe that actually decided to stay on the other side of the Jordan river and not enter the promised land. They agreed to always come fight for with the other tribes, but they were looked down upon by the rest of the tribes of Israel. So he was small, from a lesser seen family, and we can all understand why he felt shame. His family history had shamed his existence. The world looked upon him as a lesser person.
OUr sin can cause us to to be looked down upon. Perhaps it is an addiction that put you on the streets and even though you have overcome that addiction, you feel like the entire world knows and is waiting for you to fall. Perhaps you spent time in jail or had a very shady past that you struggle with because shame identifies you as a criminal.
12 Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “The Lord is with you, valiant warrior.”
16 “But I will be with you,” the Lord said to him. “You will strike Midian down as if it were one man.” Judges 6:12,16
The Lord spoke to Gideon and said I do not care if you are short and from a family that decided to not to enter the promised land. You Gideon, are a valiant warrior. You are not the sum of your past, or the past of your family’s history. You are a child of God and he speaks who you are. God does not care if you are short, tall, the color of your skin, gender, or personality. He made you! Embrace what He created and let no one or evil ever shame you over God’s perfect creation!
Mephibosheth: the shame of disability
9 David asked, “Is there anyone remaining from the family of Saul I can show kindness to for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 There was a servant of Saul’s family named Ziba. They summoned him to David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” “I am your servant,” he replied. 3 So the king asked, “Is there anyone left of Saul’s family that I can show the kindness of God to?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still Jonathan’s son who was injured in both feet.” 4 The king asked him, “Where is he?” Ziba answered the king, “You’ll find him in Lo-debar at the house of Machir son of Ammiel.” 5 So King David had him brought from the house of Machir son of Ammiel in Lo-debar. 6 Mephibosheth son of Jonathan son of Saul came to David, fell facedown, and paid homage. David said, “Mephibosheth!”“I am your servant,” he replied. 7 “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “since I intend to show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all your grandfather Saul’s fields, and you will always eat meals at my table.” 8 Mephibosheth paid homage and said, “What is your servant that you take an interest in a dead dog like me?” 9 Then the king summoned Saul’s attendant Ziba and said to him, “I have given to your master’s grandson all that belonged to Saul and his family. 10 You, your sons, and your servants are to work the ground for him, and you are to bring in the crops so your master’s grandson will have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, is always to eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. 11 Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do all my lord the king commands.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table just like one of the king’s sons. 12 Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. All those living in Ziba’s house were Mephibosheth’s servants. 13 However, Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem because he always ate at the king’s table. His feet had been injured.
2 Samuel 9:1-13
This event takes place after King Saul and his son Johnathan had been killed. If we back up we remember that David made a promise to Saul that he would spare his family when he became king. David kept his promise. So we meet Mephibosheth, Johnathan’s son. When he was five years old, his nurse took him to flee him being killed for being Johnathan’s son. She fell while carrying him and his feet were permanently disabled. Can you image his upbringing? He was the grandson of a good king turned wicked by his own pride and lust. Not only that but he was the son and grandson of mighty warriors who was lame. Those who hated Saul, I would imagine told him you deserve to be lame. Can you imagine the comparison of him to His father and grandfather?
Again, we see the shame of someone’s disability, that was no cause of his own, used as a weapon and tool to shame someone. Are you disabled? Maybe it was your own cause or the cause of someone else. Do you feel that somehow you deserved to be crippled? Do you hate and despise being crippled? This is shame. Shame says because of your condition you are not good enough. God can never use someone like you. But you know what, disability does not stop God! Just as David gave this man all the riches properties and servants of Saul’s house, God gives the same thing to you. what is a weakness is not what defines you! God defines you!
David: the shame of adultry
11 In the spring when kings march out to war, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem. 2 Samuel 11:1
Speaking of David, David got lazy and restless. He should have marched to war with his army, but he stayed behind. As he grew restless, the unthinkable happen. We read in Samuel 11 that he commits the act of adultery, but it does not stop there. The woman conceives and David, to hide their sin, has her husband killed. Now, because we as humans but degrees on sin…. this was bad, very bad. An adulterer and murderer whose actions result in the death of the child conceived.
1 In you, Lord my God,
I put my trust.
2 I trust in you;
do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3 No one who hopes in you
will ever be put to shame,
but shame will come on those
who are treacherous without cause.
Psalm 25:1-3
David admits his shame. Psalm 25 is a gut wrenching lament to God. It is David pouring HIs heart out and seeking God’s redemption through repentance Is there some sin in your past that you have decided is your identity? Addiction, adultery, murderer, thief, liar, schemer, deceiver, manipulator… In Christ you have a new identity. The old life has passed away and a new life and identity is yours! You are not the sum of your past but the sum of your future in Christ. The people started to despise David. His enemies used his past to speak horribly of him, to rally others to stand against him, and to shame David.
Sin is sin to God. There is not one sin worse than the other. God hates sin, but he loves you. He loves you so much he gave His son to pay the debt of sin so you could be forgiven and redeemed to Him. It is pure hate with evil motive to be shamed for your past. The devil wants you to identify with your past so you do not put on the identity of Christ. If he can keep you stuck in the past, he knows it’ll trap you there.
The hemorrhaging Woman: shame of impurity, and exploration
24 So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. 30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ” 32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” Mark 5:24-34
For those who may not understand, this woman had been having her menstrual period for 12 years straight. No breaks, just constant bleeding for 12 years! She had seen doctors who had no hope for her. In Biblical times, you were unclean as a woman if you were on your period. In fact, you had to be put away from everyone for the duration then you had to go through ritual purification before returning to society. She was constantly impure in the eyes of the people.
She was shamed for a condition that could not be cured and was exploited by society. We can surmise that she was shamed by everyone around her as being dirty. She was gross and disgusting because rather than seeing a menstrual cycle as part of a woman’s body function, it was deemed as disgusting. There was no hope. Her shame was the hopelessness and knowing she was a lesser person. than those around her.
Notice Jesus did not use shame. He said, daughter, you are healed, go in peace and be free of your suffering. It was not just the suffering of her physical conditions, but the emotional implications of this.
Bartimaeus: the shame of blindness, poverty, and begging
46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. 51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” 52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. Mark 10:46-52
If we ever needed more than ever to see why we needed Christ, it is in all these stories! So we have a man who was begging. He was blind. In the days of this time, people like him were thrown to the wolves. They were seen as a cause of sin and noone wanted anything to do with this man. His family threw him out because he was useless. Society deemed him useless. They even told him he was unworthy to call out to Jesus. Have you been told you are not worthy of the Savior’s healing? You are not worthy of forgiveness or redemption? You are who you are and you will never be anything different. You are pathetic because you can not support yourself. You are worthless because you live in poverty?
Jesus says you are a son or daughter, and by faith you will walk in peace. Again, it seems redundant, but the shame this man endured because of a condition he had identified who he was to himself and everyone around him. Can you identify with the deep depression this man must have felt. Noone wants to be caught in poverty and unable to provide for themselves. Rather than helping this man, society deemed him unworthy. Do you feel unworthy of the love of Christ? Unworthy of the promises of God?
The Ten Lepers: the shame of leprosy and spiritual uncleanness
11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” 14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well. Luke 17:11-19
Leprosy was the ultimate you are dirty, gross, disgusting and unwanted. It was a very sad condition and untreatable (by human hands). As soon as you showed symptoms you were immediately removed from society. You were rebuked as sinful and incurable physically or spiritually. These poor men and women who suffered this awful disease were cast into colonies outside of towns and were not allowed to be apart of society. They were at the mercy of others who, from a distance, would bring them food, clothing, and medical supplies.
To make this even worse, this man was a Samaritan. We will not dive into the history between the Jews and Samaritans, but they did not like each other. So strike one, leprosy and strike two was being a foreigner.
Are you shamed by society because of your nationality? Maybe you believe that because you come from a country that is known on a global scale as a country that is not kind to humanity. Perhaps you come from a country that is poor and came with nothing in hope for a new life but not received by others. Maybe you can not speak the language well. Do you shame yourself because you do not fit in? I am not like others, I am a “foreigner” and because I can not fit in, I never will. Do you identify as rejected, unwanted? DO you find that because you are not like everyone else in church you are somehow not worthy of a relationship by God? Or have been told you are not worthy to learn and walk with Christ because you do not fit in?
Judas: the shame of betrayal
27 Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. 2 So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor. 3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4 “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.” 5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. Matthew 27:1-5
Have you betrayed someone isn your past, and even though God says you are forgiven, they refuse to forgive you? Has that person shamed you and and refused to be reconciled or unite in Christ? Perhaps it was breaking marriage vows, or the trust of a friend when they told you something in confidence. There are all sorts of ways we can betray others and the shame of it can weigh heavily. Satan is a grand master at using our past to get us to think we are unworthy because of things we had done. Paul can tell you about this. He murdered and imprisoned Christians. Can you imagine the opposition Paul encountered about his past? Are you stuck there in your own past? You have repented and sought forgiveness from others but it has been withheld? The grief over the things you have done heavy?
7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. 2 Corinthians 4:7
Through Christ we are a new person. As a new person we are like a fragile jar of clay filled with God’s light of glory. We are subsequently fragmented and fragile bu supernaturally infused with the empowering presence of God. If you are carrying shame, what has that shame stolen from your walk with God? Do you believe who God says you are, or do you still believe the lies of the enemy? You are not only forgiven but you are free from your past.
Shame Part 1: Where are you?
Shame Part 2: The Naked Truth
SHame Part 3: Enough Already
Shame Part 4: Jars of Clay
Shame Part 5: Weight Watches
Shame Part 6: Death to Selfie
Shame Part 7: Empowered by Empathy
Shame Part 8: Scorning Shame
It Starts Small 
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