Shame

I used to think shame was just guilt with a heavier weight. But I’ve learned that guilt says, I did something wrong, while shame whispers, I am something wrong. And that whisper, if left unchecked, turns into a voice that controls everything.

Shame isn’t just a feeling; it’s a prison. It keeps us stuck in the past, chained to the worst version of ourselves. It convinces us that our failures define us, that we’re unworthy of love, grace, or even a fresh start. And for a long time, I believed that lie.

But here’s what I know today: shame cannot survive in the light. The more we hide it, the stronger it gets. The more we speak truth, the weaker it becomes.

I had to learn to stop carrying what Jesus already died for.

James 4:7-10

“So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.”

Submit ourselves to God, resist the enemy, and humble ourselves before Him, and He will lift us up. Shame loses its power when we bring it before God.

I also had to stop letting shame be my identity. My past? Yeah, it happened. My mistakes? I own them. But they do not define me. I am not what I’ve done, I am who God says I am. Redeemed. Restored. Made new.

You are not your worst moment. And you don’t have to carry that weight anymore. Healing starts when we stop running, stop hiding, and start letting grace do what it was always meant to do, set us free.