Shame and Sin

Let us lie down in our shame, and let our disgrace cover us.

We have sinned against the Lord our God, both we and our ancestors;
from our youth till this day we have not obeyed the Lord our God.

Jeremiah 3:25

Have you ever felt that way?  Have you ever just wanted to lie down in shame after sinning against the Lord?  I have many times...too many times.  I usually feel that way the most when it's after an action I knew was a sin but I did it anyway.  Instantly remorse washes over me after all is said and done, and I just want to lie down in my shame, wear it over me forever, and not ever get up again.  

I feel fear and dread.  I feel fear because God has every right to severely punish me because my sin was deliberate.  I feel dread because I think He won't forgive me since I knew it was wrong.  I feel so heavy with shame that I don't see the point of even trying to ask for forgiveness or even trying to do better the next time I'm tempted.  But then, God gently whispers in my ear, "The worst thing you could do is forget who I am."

Who is God?  God is merciful, which means FULL of MERCY.  (For the Lord your God is a merciful God...Deuteronomy 4:31)  God is COMPASSIONATE and GRACIOUS and slow to anger and ABUNDANT in LOVE.  (But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Psalm 86:15) God is JUST and FAITHFUL and PERFECT in all His ways.  (He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he. Deuteronomy 32:4)  God is GOOD.  God is LOVE (1 John 4:8). God is FORGIVING. (The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him. Daniel 9:9)

Remorse is good when it leads us to confession.  Shame is Satan's trap.  Shame tries to keep us from remembering who God is and who we are in Him.  In Him we have forgiveness of sins.  In Him we have eternal life.  In Him we have freedom from shame.  In Him we can rise up again.  No more lying down in shame.  No more believing lies.  Hear His whisper.  Feel His love wrapping around you.  Forgive yourself as Christ has already died forgiving you.  He has risen and so can you and I!

Inspired by Button Trees

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, 
whose confidence is in Him.  
They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. 
It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
Jeremiah 17:7-8

I love the look of old frames and all their imperfections.  I love trees because of their strength to endure storms and to reproduce their beauty every spring.  I love even more that God adores us in spite of all of our imperfections and that He provides us the strength to endure and the beauty to live through every season of our lives.

  

Prayer Babble

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Matthew 6:7-8

My small group and I just finished Philip Yancey's study "Prayer: Does it make any difference?".  The answer is....yes, it sure does!  Prayer makes all the difference in our faith and in our relationship with God.  It is a partnering with God and His purpose for our lives.  Prayer is conversation with God, our friend, our Father, our constant companion.  That's what I gained the most from this study.  I can talk to God just as if He is right there on the couch next to me sipping His cup of coffee as I sip mine.  God is not unreachable.

I used to be so nervous praying out loud because I was worried what about what people were hearing me say.  The truth is, people hear me speak all the time when I'm having conversations, so why should I worry about what they hear me say in my conversation with God?  Philip Yancey says that there is no formula for prayer and no right way to pray.  Jesus said in Matthew 6 that God already knows what we are going to pray for so don't worry about the "right" words.  Just pray.  Just talk to God as you would your best friend.  Just talk.  God wants to include us on the purposes for our day.  He wants us in on the conversation.

I resolve to begin each morning with a meeting with God so that I may be prepared for the day.  I pray that you would meet with Him, too.

In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
 in the morning I lay my requests before you

    and wait expectantly.

Psalm 5:3

Controlling Thoughts and Renewing the Mind

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2

Thoughts can be consuming.  The "What ifs?" and the replays of the past and the uncertainties of the future can flood a person's mind until the point of drowning him or her.  I am constantly swimming in the thought-pools of things I didn't do, things I wished I would have done differently, and things I dream of doing or having  These thoughts are distracting and disturbing at times.  They can keep me up at night and keep me from things I should be doing in the present.  I hang onto some of these thoughts because it seems that only in my mind I have control over them.  I know in my heart, though,  this isn't so.  

The more I am consumed with my thoughts, the less I am consumed with Jesus.  I have no control over my thoughts except when I hand them over to the Lord.  Romans 12:2 talks about being transformed by the renewal of the mind.  The renewal of my mind happens when I hand over to God each consuming thought that is not centered on Him.  This is an intentional discipline needed to renew and strengthen the mind much like exercise is an intentional discipline needed to renew and strengthen the body.

Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. 

Hebrews 3:1

Lord, I give you authority over my mind and my thoughts.  I hand you each thought that steals me from being fixed on You.  I want to live today in love for You.  Renew my mind and transform it into the likeness of You, Lord Jesus.  Amen.