What can I do with my recurring feelings of shame? - Shame - TouchPoints

1 Kings 19:3-4Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”

Jeremiah 17:15-16People scoff at me and say, “What is this ‘message from the Lord’ you talk about? Why don’t your predictions come true?” Lord, I have not abandoned my job as a shepherd for your people.

Jeremiah 20:18Why was I ever born? My entire life has been filled with trouble, sorrow, and shame.

The prophets Elijah and Jeremiah were both publicly shamed and threatened. Both served faithfully and preached God’s message, yet Israel did not return to the Lord. Both prophets were forced to wrestle with their apparent failure and the shame and doubt that came with it. They even experienced suicidal thoughts. However, instead of hiding themselves from God or trying to ignore their shame, these prophets shared everything they were experiencing with God. We, too, can speak honestly with God about our doubt and shame.

Jeremiah 18:18Then the people said, “Come on, let’s plot a way to stop Jeremiah. We have plenty of priests and wise men and prophets. We don’t need him to teach the word and give us advice and prophecies. Let’s spread rumors about him and ignore what he says.”

Romans 8:31If God is for us, who can ever be against us?

Galatians 1:10I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.

People responded to Jeremiah with slander and mockery, and he felt ashamed. People hated him, and his ministry seemed to be a failure. Yet Jeremiah’s shame was undeserved. Jeremiah shared the message God gave him. It wasn’t his fault that people chose to mock and ignore that message. Today, we remember Jeremiah as one of the great heroes of our faith. Human opinion and worldly measures of success pale in comparison to the lasting honor God gives his servants.

Matthew 5:44-45“But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.”

Acts 26:1-2So Paul, gesturing with his hand, started his defense: “I am fortunate, King Agrippa, that you are the one hearing my defense today against all these accusations made by the Jewish leaders.”

Romans 9:2-3My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ!—if that would save them.

1 Peter 3:9Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.

When others have shamed us, it can be tempting to seek revenge to regain our self-esteem. Revenge causes us to obsess over our shame and gives another person power over our self-worth. Worse, it hijacks our Christian witness to the world with pride and hatred. Paul stood up for himself against the slander of the Jewish leaders, yet his resistance never turned to hatred. Paul felt a deep love for his Jewish people and longed for them to come to Christ. When we resist the false shame people place on us, we should do so in a way that honors God and witnesses to his presence in our lives. When we do this, shame loses its power over our actions.