“No matter its origin, the burden of shame stifles your joy and keeps you from letting your light shine. . . . The burden of shame doesn’t stand a chance in the power of God’s presence.”- Alison Cook and Kimberly Miller
Alison Cook and Kimberly Miller continue Chapter 13 of Boundaries for Your Soul as they look at shame’s benefits, dangers, needs, and fears:
- Benefits – shame alerts you when you overestimate your own power. It also invites you to step out in courage and creativity. Finally, shame motivates you to discover your true identity.
- Dangers- if you fail to address your shame, you feel that you aren’t good enough and that something’s inherently wrong with you. Also, shame interrupts your creative process. As a result, you hesitate to take risks.
- Needs-perhaps more than any other emotion, the authors note, the part of your soul carrying shame wants your attention. It needs to let Jesus mend the injury that caused your shame. Furthermore, shame needs to trust you to choose emotionally safe people you can speak carefully to on its behalf. And you need to practice hearing God’s voice of truth and love.
- Fears– shame fears it will be cut off, shut out, rejected, and alone.
Next, Alison and Kim look at three ways your soul managers play the tricky game of shame. The authors discuss the first way today.
1. The Shaming Inner Critic. Your shaming inner critic, via misguided effort, reminds you of all the ways you fail to measure up. Thus, your exile harbors this false message. Whether your current shame results from a present conflict or words spoken long ago, those accusing words or critical attitudes rouse your shaming inner critic.
Hence, your critic – thinking it’s helping you – berates you. And an exile that gets weighed down with this burden of shame pays the price. But when you integrate this critic into your internal family, you put it to work reminding you of God’s powerful love.
Today’s question: What Bible verses help you feel the power of God’s presence? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “An advocate of transparency”
