He Takes Away The Shame

What were we like before shame?

It’s such a powerful state to find yourself in. So crippling. The combination of feelings of embarrassment, fear and withdrawal prevents any chance of full acceptance and true intimacy in a wider sense. Sometimes it’s something within that causes it – a response to an incident for example. Sometimes it can result from the community around you seeing you fail in keeping up to their standards or expectations.

However it starts, the effects can be devastating, especially when there is nothing you can do about it. Perhaps through no fault of your own you find yourself in the position and you can tell you are the figure of fun. You are the subject of the not so subtle whisper campaign. By the way others are tentative around you or in the manner that others blatantly disregard you or worse patronise you it’s as if there’s an inescapable stain on you that no amount of effort can remove.

People living with shame, live in a social and emotional prison where there is no obvious key for release and where it seems as if you’re given a life sentence of solitary confinement.

Thank God there is someone who can liberate us.

“The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.” (Luke 1:25)

When Elizabeth discovers the miracle of her pregnancy and secludes herself for the first five months, it’s as though for the first time in her life she can withdraw by choice, not because of external rejection. Her joy and relief virtually burst through the page in her simple word of praise to God for doing His miraculous work.

It’s not only Elizabeth who would benefit from this situation. Her miracle child would be the forerunner for the Messiah whose very mission set people free from their inner and outer imprisonment of shame.

Just as God took Lizzie’s shame away, so faith in Jesus takes us from the dark days of loneliness and isolation to brighter days of joy in transparency. Whatever caused the shame is wiped away in the power of His reconciling love. Whatever made you a social leper is eradicated in the light of His all embracing grace.

The good news is that the King of glory has come and in His Kingdom, He takes away the shame. That’s worth sharing with those still imprisoned by it today.

For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden