From Prisoner To Partner

Reflect on God’s Word

What do you do when shame threatens to overwhelm you? Maybe you’ve tried everything you can think of to get out from underneath it, but nothing seems to work. Whether you feel shame from what others have said or done to you or from decisions you have made, God wants to transform your pain and shame and use it for his purposes.

Maybe you wonder how your story can bring God glory. But God can use whatever has brought you shame and transform it into something that will give him honor. He can turn your pain into purpose.

Consider the story of the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4. Jesus was sitting by the well by himself because his disciples had gone into town to buy something to eat. It was about noon, and a woman from the town came to draw water. It was very unusual for a woman to come at that hour to draw water. That errand was usually done in the morning when it was cool.

Jesus proceeded to have quite a lengthy conversation with this woman about water and thirsting, but below the surface, Jesus was preparing to transform this woman’s life.

Confronting her with the fact that she had been married to five different men and was currently living with a man to whom she was not married—a fact that would have caused her great shame in her society—Jesus revealed himself to her as the Messiah. Her response? “Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, ‘Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?’” (John 4:29).

This woman, who lived under a veil of shame because of the choices she had made and possibly circumstances that had been thrust upon her, had become a partner in declaring the good news of the Messiah.

Don’t let shame make you deaf to the whispers of the Lord and his plans for you. You are completely saved, completely loved, completely holy, completely free. Deliverance from shame’s oppression opens your ears to hear what God has planned for you.

Imagine for a few moments what it feels like to go from a prisoner to a partner with God.

Chuck Colson was a central figure in the Watergate scandal of the 1970s. He went to prison for his actions. After serving seven months in federal prison, Colson founded Prison Fellowship, the largest Christian nonprofit organization in the United States ministering to prisoners, former prisoners, and their families.^* From prisoner to partner.

Nicky Cruz—warlord of a violent gang on the streets of New York in the 1950s, victim of severe child abuse, and considered a lost cause by the courts—gave his life to Jesus after encountering evangelist David Wilkerson. He went on to found Nicky Cruz Outreach and preach the good news of Jesus to youth around the world.^* From prisoner to partner.

There is no life so lost that it cannot be found by Jesus. There is no soul so dark that the light of Jesus cannot shine in it. God wants to use you in his marvelous plan to redeem the world. Will you become his partner?

Release Your Shame

Take a deep breath. Exhale the memories, thoughts, and distractions that run through your mind. Make your breathing slow and steady, and push all distractions away. Breathe in God’s peace. Ask the Holy Spirit to take over. Let yourself feel his heartbeat inside of you.

Lift your eyes toward heaven or bow your head in prayer. Get on your knees or simply sit still. Now picture taking all your shame and handing it over to God. How does trusting God with your shame feel?

Now imagine him taking all the things you’ve done in the past, all those sins that bring you shame, and showing you how all your experiences make you the perfect choice to go into partnership with him to reach the world with the love of Jesus.

If you have struggled with addiction, what kind of impact could you have if you took that experience and reached out to those who are currently experiencing the pain of addiction? Let them see how the light of Jesus brought you out of that darkness.

If you have struggled with sexual sin, Jesus can redeem you like he did the woman at the well. As he reveals himself to you, he empowers you to reveal him to others who are struggling in the same area.

Whatever is in your past is forgiven, and God will use it for his glory. Ask him to do that, and he will. You can experience the joy of seeing God use you to point people to him. What a turnabout!

Dear heavenly Father, I am so tired of shame keeping me up at night and waking me in the morning. My shame makes me run from you. I try to pray, but memories from my past—things I couldn’t control and things I can’t take back—flood me with shame. The shame clouds my mind and overwhelms my heart. Sometimes I feel as if I’m sleepwalking through life, self-sabotaging my best efforts and dreams. Help me experience the truth that can transform my shame and use it for your purposes. Thank you for loving me so much. I’m surrendering my shame to you. I’m choosing your truth, your love, your freedom. I want to be used by you for good because I know that you are good and that you love me. In the transforming name of Jesus I pray, amen.

JOURNAL PROMPT: As you reflect on the lives of Nicky Cruz, Chuck Colson, and the woman at the well, how can you see your story being used by God? Write down some ideas of people who might listen to you talk about Jesus because of what you’ve experienced.