Social Science researchers distinguish the concepts of guilt and shame. Guilt is a helpful emotion in that once recognized, the discomfort of this awareness that we have done something wrong can spur us on to change. On the other hand, shame is a profound, painful belief “that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love or belonging” (Brown, 2013, Shame vs. Guilt, brenebrown.com).
In the Choice 4 section of Upside-Down, I try to address the concept of shame beginning with the poem and Devotion 1 about the woman caught in adultery and dragged before Jesus. Guilt motivates us to repentance. We can reach out to Jesus, confess our sin, repent, and move on. However, shame can keep us wallowing in thoughts of our past sin and regret. Shame becomes a barrier to reaching out to Jesus. We feel so unworthy we have difficulty receiving His forgiveness and grace.
The narrative of the woman caught in adultery illustrates who we are in Jesus’s eyes. He did not see her as unlovable or unworthy of His grace. Instead, Jesus reminds us that no human being is without sin. However, as His beloved daughter or son, we are worthy because He is worthy. His grace cleanses us so that we no longer need to have doubts about Who loves us and Who we belong to. Let guilt goad you to confess, repent, and move forward in change. Then release destructive feelings of shame to your Savior and receive His grace. You are loved.
