Restoring Your Soul - Living a Limitless LifeSample

Receiving Grace/Releasing Shame

I have experienced and watched the destructive nature of shame throughout my lifetime. Shame is the most damaging emotion trauma produces. It is not only destructive personally (since a shame-based person has minimal self-esteem and erects walls to self-protect), but it also destroys relationships because of the severe errors in thinking it produces. Shame devastates the human soul because it resides in the deepest place, the core, of one’s identity. It is one of the most profound lies a person can believe.

Every shameful thought comes from believing, “I am bad, unworthy, unlovable, or responsible for what is happening around me.” It is an intense feeling of inadequacy, insecurity, and self-loathing.

When Jesus went to the cross, He carried more than our sin — He carried our shame. Scripture tells us in Hebrews 12:2 that Jesus “endured the cross, scorning its shame,” so that we could walk in freedom. Guilt says, “I did something wrong,” but shame whispers, “I am something wrong.” Jesus defeated both.

The cross is not just about forgiveness of sins; it is about the restoration of dignity, identity, and worth. The mistakes, failures, or painful choices of our youth may try to cling to us like chains. Shame loves to remind us of who we were, but Christ points us to who we are now. We are redeemed, beloved, and new creations in Him.

Jesus said in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Abundant life has no place for shame’s heavy weight. Instead, we are invited into joy, freedom, and wholeness. Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 3:17, "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” That freedom is not partial; it is total.

Today, you can lay down the shame of your past at the foot of the cross. You don’t have to carry it another day. The Lord is inviting you to walk with head held high, not because of anything you have done, but because of everything He has done.

Grace is an unearned, undeserved favor from God. When we receive it, we are free to stop striving and simply live as His beloved children.

I Invite You to Ask Yourself:

1. What past shame have I been carrying that Jesus already took on the cross?

2. Do I find it easy or hard to receive God’s grace? What keeps me from receiving it?

3. Where am I still trying to “earn” His love?

4. How would my life look different if I fully rested in His grace?

I Invite You to Pray:

Lord Jesus, thank You for taking not only my guilt, but also my shame. Thank You that Your grace is a gift, not something I have to earn. Teach me to receive it with joy and freedom, knowing that because of the cross, I am no longer defined by my past but by Your love. Help me to walk in the freedom of Your Spirit and embrace the abundant life You have promised. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.