THE BEST GIFT YOU CAN GIVE

O my God, I trust in You; let me not be ashamed; let not my enemies triumph over me. Psalms 25:2 (NKJV)

If you’re dealing with shame from your past, it’s always going to bring confusion in your relationships.

Before we get into this issue, let me identify the difference between guilt and shame. Guilt is about your behaviour or actions. When you do something wrong, you feel guilty, and this is normal. It motivates you to ask for forgiveness or do what you need to do to fix the situation.

Shame, on the other hand, is an identity issue. It goes much deeper than behaviour, and that’s why we have to deal with it. When your identity is wrapped up in shame, it affects every area of your life, including your relationships. It makes it very difficult for others to get close to you.

Not only that, but shame also causes people to give up on their relationships. Jeremiah 3:25 talks about the fact that you will stop fighting if you feel ashamed. It says, “Let us lie down in our shame.” In other words, shame can cause you to give up. On the other hand, according to Psalm 25:2, if you trust in God and hold your head high, you will overcome!

Whether you are single or married, the best thing you can do for the people you love is to get a hold of who you are in Christ. Because when you gave your life to Christ, you traded that shame-based, sin-based identity and became a brand-new creation.

Now, even though you’re not sin-free (we all make mistakes), when it comes to your relationship with God, it’s as though you are. He loves you, accepts you, and empowers you to change and grow.