I did this word study a long time ago, but couldn’t bring myself to write a full piece on it. The reason why I was doing this word study was just too fresh in my mind. Shame. What a word. In my life, I was witness to shame and guilt eating away at someone’s soul. I myself have never experienced shame to the level I was witnessing, so I wanted to have a better understanding of the word. What causes shame? What can cure shame? I wanted to know how I could help someone go through shame and come out the other side free. When we have questions like this, who better to ask than God? So I went to the Word of God. It is always good to know where your solutions come from. I knew on my own I had no power to change the shame, only the Word of God could.

Shame is mentioned 100 times in the KJV of the Bible, 84 different verses. While reading these 84 verses I came to see a list of things that can cause shame: defeat, idleness, pride, lying, stubbornness, haste in speech, mistreatment of parents, evil companions, nakedness, idolatry and lust. This is just a portion of a larger list but I think we all get the idea. Shame is caused by sin. 

The English definition of shame is: a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior. 

Proverbs 11:2 in the Amplified says, “When pride comes [boiling up with an arrogant attitude of self-importance], then come dishonor and shame, But with the humble [the teachable who have been chiseled by trial and who have learned to walk humbly with God] there is wisdom and soundness of mind.” Pride = shame. Humble = wisdom. Humble ≠ shame. Humbling yourself will equate into no shame. 

Shame is very ‘I’ centered. You are thinking about yourself, what you did or did not do, what you said or did not say. But, in all things with shame, you are focusing solely on yourself. Me, myself and I. Hence, bringing the focus away from God. We all make mistakes, we all sin and fall short. But that is EXACTLY why we have and need Jesus. He died on the cross for our sins. Sin happens and we all should be trying our best to not sin but if you live in this world it is bound to happen. This is where you need to know that repentance and forgiveness of sins is real. Jesus died for this very reason. To save us. To restore us. To heal us. To free us.  

How do you cure shame? 

1. Know who you are in Christ.

2. Humble yourself.

3. Know what the Word of God says. Don’t get confused, get educated.

4. Honesty.

5. Remain teachable and correctable.

6. Walk in love. 

7. Serve others.

8. Stay consistent in your communication with God. 

I highly suggest you listen to the song, “Ain’t No Grave” by Bethel Music & Molly Skaggs (https://youtu.be/Kf9ed6qwlaI). 

The first verse in the song is;

“Oh, shame is a prison as cruel as a grave

Shame is a robber and he's come to take my name

Oh, love is my redeemer, lifting me up from the ground

Love is the power where my freedom song is found”

There is no grave that can hold your body down. Shame is a grave, Jesus came back from the grave to get you out of yours. Embrace Him shame-free.

Posted 1/1/2022