BREAK SHAME, FEAR, CONTROL!

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”                
​2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT

Everyone who has lived any length of time has experienced feeling, “there’s something wrong with me.”  Perhaps a parent said something that placed a false label on them, or they interpreted a certain reaction from someone important in authority as rejection.  Also, as children it is natural to begin to believe that what we do is who we are.  And we all mess up!

That’s why it is so important to allow the statement above to soak deep into our hearts.  Believe that the very moment you declared Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, you were transferred out of the darkness and into his glorious Kingdom of light where you will remain forever seated with him. With Jesus, there is no more shame.  He took all your shame on the Cross. The shame that causes those insidious thoughts that sabotage your life by whispering, “I am so stupid!  No one listens to me or cares.  I will never measure up,” have lost their power over you.  Jesus broke the power of sin and Satan’s lies over you on the Cross. (Romans 6:10) You win the battle for your mind by just declaring and believing the truth.

Please, believe this truth: Because Jesus took all of your shame, you can also be free of the fear it causes.  Satan does NOT want us to know that, because our fears cause most of our sin, and make it difficult to have a true relationship with God.  The fear that controls us may be that someone will discover what a fraud we are and abandon or reject us.  Shame can cause us to believe the lie that we deserve to be abused, hurt or to fail.

It is vital to identify the fears that unconsciously control our behavior.  Our fears cause controlling behaviors, like addictions to food, work, computers, pornography and drugs.  We may hide our hearts, put on masks, lie, or blame others. We may become legalistic and perfectionists, thinking that if we do everything right, maybe no one will discover our source of shame.  No matter the fear or the resulting, controlling behaviors, we need to ask Jesus to deal with what is causing the shame, which is the root of the problems.   

Satan loves to cause shame in little children, and reinforces it as they grow, so that they deny it and push it into their subconscious mind. That way they are ignorant of what causes the failures in relationships, their depression and anxiety.  When we rely on controlling behaviors to make it through the day, we are not relying on God.  More to the point, we may even be hiding from God, so are robbed of the very purpose of our lives, an intimate relationship with our heavenly Father.

What may be causing you to believe that something is wrong with you?  Have you asked God to speak truth to it and make your new identity in Christ so real that shame’s power is broken?  Then, watch as the fear fades and peace invades your heart and mind. 

Dear friend, hear the truth.  You are a new creation, the old has been crucified with Christ.  You have a totally new identity in Christ.  You are eternally loved, will always belong to the Father, and nothing can change that. You were created for an important purpose. There is no one like you. You have great value. Christ died for you to be set free of shame, fear and every form of control that robs your freedom, and steals your peace and joy.  Daily, as you allow him, our Lord is working in you to restore all that has been lost or stolen, so you will become all that God created you to be, because he delights in you and you are precious to him.

 Pray with me: Father God, forgive me for allowing ignorance and lies to keep me imprisoned in shame and fear. In Jesus’ name, I step into the authority you give me, and I break the power of every lie and vow that causes me to feel I need to control, and bind them to the Cross of Christ.  They no longer control me.  Forgive me for trying to control things and other people.  That was wrong.  I now give you all control and choose to trust you to protect me, provide for me and guide me along the best path.  Thank you for loving me.  Thank you for setting me free.  I choose to receive every good gift you have for me.  Release the blessings that I have blocked.  In Jesus’ loving name. Amen.
Mary Sumner
June 22, 2019