I have regrets that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I feel remorse for my words or actions that were unloving and hurtful. I have godly sorrow when I diverge from the path that I know to be the truest and best one.
But I do not carry or wear any shame. That means I do not succumb to any feeling or thought that suggests God loves me any less, accepts me any less, or supports me any less because of my faults.
The only reason this is so is because I fully trust in my Christ-purchased status before God. Because of Christ’s “it is finished” payment for all my sins, I choose to believe God’s throne room of grace is always open to me, and His welcoming embrace is always there for me – no matter what condition I show up in. “The Lord is my helper” means He’s there to help, not to judge or condemn.
Believing this makes me run to Him, not from Him. It prompts me to tell Him the unvarnished truth, not look for an excuse. It makes my relationship with Him more precious to me and delightful to Him.
So, when my dark past comes calling, or when I make a wrong choice in the present and “Shame on you!” invades my thoughts, my faith response is “No! Shame off me because of Jesus.”
I want to be sorry for wrong choices and reactions, but I also want to remember who I am in Christ and because of Christ remains forever unblemished and beloved.
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