The Millennial Christian Devotional

If I’m being honest, I would have to say that college brought about some of the best times of my life. But some of my most shameful moments were also birthed during that time. I once would pride myself on being the “I would never” person until I was the “I wish I wouldn’t have” person. I dove into waters that exposed my inability to swim. And I opened myself to painful lacerations that would become deeper wounds that only the blood of Jesus could heal.

When we dig into how we should approach shame, we are able to uncover, to the best of our descriptive ability, the true definition of the love Christ showed on Calvary. Although we’re unable to fully comprehend, it’s easy to accept that only an infinite God could love an intentionally sinful, inappreciative, imperfect wreck to the point of sending His Son just to get that wreck back into right standing with Him. Shame causes us to feel dishonorable, disgraceful, and just dirty. And if we’re honest with ourselves, this shame doesn’t come unjustifiably. It comes because of our sin. Sin causes shame. It feeds shame. And, in a space devoid of Christ, it validates it. It makes you want to hide and run away in isolation. There’s a towering hesitation to share this space with anyone because just as our shame cries out to be heard, the silence of our humiliation is louder. Shame is overwhelming, but thank God that Christ is overcoming.

When we read Romans 8:1, it inspires a new feeling that eclipses our shame—hope. Hope for all of us who understand that shame is a form of self-condemnation that Christ has put to death once and for all. It tells us that “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

We must come to terms with our lives as sinners who have been set free. Actively participating in sin should cause shame simply because that is not God’s intended design for our lives as His creation. We feel shame because the inward part of us that senses and is consciously aware of God knows that sin isn’t right or good for us. But once we accept Christ as our Savior, we are brought back into a covenant relationship with God allowing His Spirit to reign in us and rule over us. And with His Spirit comes the removal of the reign of shame. This is the same Spirit that Romans 8:2 says “sets us free” because we are now in Christ and no longer in sin.

Recognizing that our shame is a feeling that can cause us to undervalue the sacrifice of Christ helps us to truly embrace the sacrifice of Christ. Of course, it would be negligent for anyone to think that our old lives could no longer cause us to lament over the things that took us away from what we knew was right. But that lamentation should neither consume nor direct our heart posture toward God or override the magnitude of our salvation experience.

Because we are made new, our shame that rode in along with our sin was nailed to the cross with the Savior who carried our sin and shame for us. He knew we would feel this way. He knew we would experience moments of dejection and repugnance. But He also knew that His grace would clothe us. His love would comfort us. And His Spirit would keep us. Shame does not have a place in Christ, and it should no longer have a hold on you. So, embrace those memories that bring on those subtle smiles and quiet laughs while thanking God for forgetting those that don’t.