Shame: Who Carries It?

I’ve been thinking about this idea of shame for a few weeks now (perhaps because I’ve recently faced my first tangible experience of shame, I’m not sure). There’s a line in one of my current favorite songs that asks, “who chose to carry all my shame?” It made me stop and think, and I have found that it is a concept that seems slightly elusive to me.

As a Christian, I’ve heard and stated and repeated the whole, “God has erased all my shame…all of my guilt is gone…I cannot disappoint God..” 'shpeel', but I honestly don’t recall ever feeling shame so strongly as when I clearly saw the negative effects of my choices/actions on one that I dearly love – a response that I truly did not expect; a response that was born out of love. So I ask myself:

What is shame?

Why do we have shame?

Is shame that is provoked by people something that people (or Christians?) should be concerned about?

How do we experience shame with God? After all, “therefore, there is now no condemnation…”

My bible dictionary/concordance defines shame as “a condition or feeling of humiliating disgrace or disrepute…” Shame brings feelings of criticism and condemnation, belittlement and a lessening of one’s value. I don’t know if you’re catching this vibe, but none of these things connect with the God that I know from the Bible. None of these feelings coincide at all with what God teaches us. So where does it come from?

There is most definitely a shame that comes with our fallen nature through sin. Our value, our worth, our acceptance are all based on what we do or don’t do. When we’re not good enough, we carry shame. Because in our fallen nature we can never be good enough for God, we innately carry shame that can’t ever be redeemed except by the blood of Jesus Christ. By his blood we are cleansed and forgiven, we are made whole and God looks at us as though we are new, spotless, unblemished. This is why scripture says that we no longer have any shame or condemnation through Christ Jesus. This is why we are not to carry shame as though we have some burden to work off. 

WE CAN’T WORK IT OFF!

AND THE BEAUTIUFL THING IS THAT HE DOESN’T ASK US TO!

But there is a shame that we need to be wary of... and that is casting a light of shame on God and His word. To make less of Him and what’s He’s done is to bring shame on His name and all that He is. Using His name in vain, dishonoring His righteous intentions, and rejecting His grace all make less of Him. God uses the weak to shame the proud. When we take what He has given us and make it something other than what He intended, when we take His name, His blood as our own, and wear it around as a casual windbreaker, we make less of Him. To make less of God in a world defiant to His love, is to say to the world, “you’re right, He’s not that big, not that important, not that significant.” You shame God. You shame His word. You shame the work of Christ on the cross.

That which is little is big in the hands of God. That which is weak is strong in the arms of God. That which is worthless is invaluable in the sight of God. Those who are humble will stand proud in the love of God.

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” - Rom 8:1

The grace of God alone covers our shame. Let no one tell you otherwise.