“But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one” (2 Thessalonians 3:3).
If you live long enough, you will have more than your share of memories that have the capacity to haunt you, shame you. You could be going about your day, and everything is going so well. And, POW! Out of nowhere, the devil will throw out a memory, a thought, a failure. And, just like that, you feel the shame of it all all over again, just as if the event just happened.
That’s what the devil does. He’s the master of shame. He delights in shame. Shame is one of his most powerful weapons.
The devil will use shame to remind you of how unworthy you are. The devil will remind you of how undeserving you are.
And, you know what? The devil is right!
You are unworthy. You are undeserving. So am I.
But here’s what the devil still doesn’t understand. God doesn’t love you and me because we are worthy and deserving. We’ve always been unworthy and undeserving. And God has always loved us yet!
So, the next time the devil wants to shame you. Remember, God’s always loved you. It was never about our worthiness. Our hope and peace has always been about God’s unbelievable love and amazing grace.
So, have a fantastic awesome day, you unworthy and undeserving you. God loves you, died for you, and has risen for you. Christ is, Christ has always been, and Christ will always be our hope and joy!
Praxis: Faith in Action 