SHAME

I would bet many of us carry or have carried some type of shame in our lives. Shame is defined as a painful emotional state involving deep feelings of inadequacy, humiliation, and hurt, caused by the consciousness of guilt, it is something we regret. I don’t know about you, but I often feel inadequate in following and serving the Lord. Here are a couple of examples of shame. Judas betrayed Jesus, it caused great shame in him, and he thought what he had done was unforgivable and he hung himself. Peter denied Jesus three times and he also had great shame. Both men were with Jesus for three years. Why didn’t Peter go to the extreme? Both men carried heavy guilt for what they did. Peter had the key to free himself. We don’t have to live our life in shame, we might not know we hold the key to unlock it and free ourselves. The key is Jesus Christ. Turn to him and be free. Do you feel inadequate? Do you feel shame? Do you know that you have a key?