Shame, I have felt it. Have you? The pains of knowing I could have, should have, wish I could go back and change it behavior. If I allow it shame will consume me. I will always look to the past and wish for a better future. Shame is a waste of time.
Conviction is beneficial. Conviction allows me to admit my mistake, take the actions to change the behavior, and move forward.
When I am ashamed, I think of Peter. He told Jesus I would die for you. I would never betray you. He sounded like a really bad love song. A little girl scared Peter enough for him to deny Christ, a child. He wasn’t as strong as he thought he was. He did however years later according to historians die for Christ.
We are all a work in progress. If we allow shame to take a hold of our soul, we are stuck in the past. We are stuck in the could of, should of, would of done differently world. It is a sad and lonely world.
Jesus, went to Peter; I think to clear the shame. Peter had denied Christ three times, when Christ could have used a friend, Peter was denying him. Peter, I am sure felt tremendous guilt over his actions. Jesus, wasn’t angry that his friend had left him and denied knowing him. Jesus didn’t leave Peter, behind and move on. Jesus approached his friend in love. Jesus’ love for us is unconditional. Jesus, asked Peter, three times, “Do you love me?”
Each time Peter, replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I do”.
The first response Jesus gave was, “Feed my lambs”.
The second request, “Shepherd, my sheep” and the third, “Feed, my sheep”.
I love this, Jesus didn’t lecture Peter on his sin. He addressed Peter’s sin with love. Jesus pointed to action; he didn’t want Peter living in the past. Feed my lambs, we all start somewhere even as babies in Christ, Shepherd my sheep growing a little more, feed my sheep, more mature with refinement. Jesus knew Peter wouldn’t start out feeding sheep. Peter would start with feeding lambs, then being a Shepherd, moving into feeding sheep.
Jesus loved with conviction. He always loved and corrected while pointing us to the father.
Living in shame is selfish because it points inward to the person with the shame instead of pointing outward living life for God. We were never intended to live under condemnation. Today if shame is at the root of your soul, please leave it at the cross.
Do you love Jesus? Feed the lambs.
Do you love Jesus? Shepherd the sheep.
Do you love Jesus? Feed the sheep.
Psalm 103:12 “As far as the East is from the West, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”
Jesus took all sins to the cross; he wants us to live a life in abundance for him. My prayer today is for peace, to be able to leave the pain and shame behind, and to move into a beautiful position of Christ’s Shepherd.
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