NO MORE SHAME

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

One of the most significant roadblocks to recovery is the discouragement and shame that comes when we falter.

This is never more true than when someone suffers from a relapse; goes back out or “blows it” big time.

This past week I have been working with some folks really struggling with the pain associated with “missing the mark” (relapse).

They are frustrated; almost grieved over their inability to stay on track, sober, clean or pure. They are feeling angry, almost despondent. They feel washed over with guilt.

My heart breaks for them.

As a 4 time “rehab-loser” I know exactly what they are feeling. There is the emotion of letting down EVERYONE who loves them. There is embarrassment. You feel weak. The disappointment is awful. The guilt then comes crashing down like the proverbial ton of bricks. And that “ton of brick” feeling, if not “put in check”, can lead to a prolonged relapse or worse yet, giving up.

So today, I wanted to investigate a little as to what GOD says about this “guilt stuff”.

Before we decided to make Jesus our higher power and invite His spirit to reside in our lives, our compulsion drove our behavior. We were on our own with no future and no hope. And GOD is not a fan of that selfish way of life.

Romans 2:8

8 But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness.

But the day, in fact the MINUTE, we turned to Jesus and entrusted Him to deliver us from the mess both we and our compulsion had created, WE WERE given HOPE; a breath of life; a future; a clean slate.

Hebrews 9:15

Through the Spirit, Christ offered himself as an unblemished sacrifice, freeing us from all those dead-end efforts to make ourselves respectable, so that we can live all out for God.

I know that is tough to grasp when we look up from the fourth straight shot of Jagermeister or when we click beyond our email to something dangerous, or we close the hotel room door behind us but it is our hope.

Jesus freed us from ALL THOSE DEAD END EFFORT TO MAKE OURSELVES RESPECTABLE.

You see, even when we are “being good”, our efforts are not what FREE US.

IT IS THE sacrifice of Jesus that removes us from a state of guilt and separation from God and into one of forgiveness and acceptance by the Father.

Our shame was removed at the CROSS and when we accepted Christ; HIS righteousness was credited to our account. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through Jesus Christ.

Now, please don’t misunderstand me. WE WILL bear the consequences of our “poor decisions”. The hangover, the “brain damage”, the lost wages, and “the fallouts” will still be there for us to deal with.

But our ULTIMATE future is secure.

That through Christ, we are no longer guilty before God.

So what to do about the guilty feelings?

If we allow shame over our previous deeds to continue, we will experience a divided mind, one that focuses too much on the past; even when that "past" happened 10 minutes ago.

To make things worse, compulsion and addiction are like gasoline to the fire of a divided mind and spirit.

The enemy knows this and that is why when those of us who are "4 time recovery losers" falter, he wants us doubt God’s love and ask, “How could He care for someone like me? I am nothing but a lying, failing drunk.” He then works to make us feel unworthy to be God's child.

We then draw away from Him, draw away from recovery. Try to shield ourselves from the pain of the confrontation by hiding out.

BUT DON’T do it, don't allow it to happen to you. Don’t buy into the ENEMY’S lies.

Guilty feelings only serve to weigh us down, rob us of our energy for today’s tasks and dampen our enthusiasm for the future.

Remember, OUR FUTURE is SECURE in CHRIST!

We have all made mistakes that we regret and here is a little newsflash, WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO!

Romans 3:23

King James Version (KJV)

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

But we have a heavenly Father who has completely forgiven our sins and removed our guilt through His Son Jesus.

So, shameful moments will still arise.

We will have days where we “get it wrong”.

But don’t allow the shameful moment to transform into SHAME.

There is a difference. A shameful moment is “fixable”. Repent. Ask for forgiveness. Ask for the strength to overcome the challenge in the future. Accept the mercy and grace. Move forward.

Shame on the other hand is a “mind-set”.

It is a crippling and overarching attitude that will KEEP you wallowing in the guilt of the mistake; blind you to the grace that is yours; keep you bound and defeated.

So if you are feeling the weight of shame, remember this one… (And I am sure you know it)…J

John 3:16 (New Century Version)

16 "God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life.

Meditate on what was accomplished at the cross, and let God’s truth set you free.

Hebrews 10:22 (The Message)

22-25So let's do it—full of belief, confident that we're presentable inside and out. Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word.

KEEP RECOVERING!

I love you all.

Freedom Church