When shame swallows you
When shame swallows you
How to kick it's teeth out and escape
Writing this listening to Mozart.
Violin Concerto No1. B-Flat.
Stunning,
Honestly, I can’t believe it…
This mere man... simply soars so high above all other composers. He, has literally no competition in my totally biased opinion.
That said,
What's below makes you fly higher too.
As high as you dare wish to go.
Soaring free.
Urged on by mighty angels and the strong happy spirits of faithful saints already gone head into the Glory before you...
Listen...
They are shouting for you.
They're cheering YOU.
"Go UP higher!"
Far above the pesky clutches of that most miserable soul swallowing foe faced by legions of Christians down the ages...
SHAME.
The ugly frog of humanity.
Robbing good hearted souls. Plundering all their joy... turning their homes, marriages and families into wastelands. Their pretty eyes into fearful red tinged, empty grey pits.
Devoid of hope.
It's a swine indeed.
However, swine being the unclean beasts they are...
(Sorry dear French readers... no frogs or pigs for me).*
Here's how you remove them...
To take the step into victory we need ask one question.
If...
Shame means; 'disgrace, to be humiliated, embarrassed or stigmatised' then...
What is the OPPOSITE of shame?
Of course it is...
APPROVAL, honour, boldness, confidence, peace.
So,
Imagine we can SWITCH, cross over from SHAME into APPROVAL?
Then stay there.
The rest of your life.
Is it likely?
It depends...
Whether you do these three things.
First…
Despise the shame.
Jesus did, even when He was dying to pay for it, so it need never torment you again…
“Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Hebrews 12: 1-2 NKJV
Jesus detested shame.
(So should you. It's your enemy).
Thankfully by the blood of His cross, he handed us liberty from it saying...
"You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you."
John 15:3 NKJV
Consider deeply...
You are APPROVED NOW.
You did not need to do anything to get His approval.
Jesus did it all for you by His grace,
ALREADY... which is why He said, er... 'already.'
So step one is...
RECEIVE THIS MOST GRACIOUS GIFT Jesus handed you... by faith. To do so simply BELIEVE you're already APPROVED.
And for step two, to embed it into your daily walk...
Read a bit further in John 15...
"You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you."
John 15:16 NKJV
There it is again…
"YOU DID NOT CHOOSE ME, BUT I CHOSE YOU... and... appointed YOU, that you should go and bear fruit."
Staggering approval we have eh?
Yet we bear fruit too.
So to get a walk of boldness and fearless confidence…
Plant the seed which brings good fruit.
God's word.
And then ,
EAT YOUR FRUIT growing out of it... every single day.
Don't miss what Jesus is actually saying here…
What do you do with good fruit?
You...
JUST EAT IT!
Think about it.
End of summer...
Your garden vineyard or orchard or fruit patch is bursting with fruit... grapes, plums, raspberries, strawberries...
Bees buzzing around happily.
They love the garden.
You should too,
Because as you look over, and a gorgeous sun slips down behind the tall trees… you notice... your Father, the Great Gardener is tending YOUR GARDEN.
Where did He come from you wonder?
No matter...
He walks over to a bush studded with lush red berries which He's been carefully nurturing for three years...
And picks off a handful of juicy, ruby red raspberries...
Pours, fresh living water over them,
And.
With a massive smile on His kindly old face...
Turns round and gives them to YOU.
And says...
"Eat young one... THIS FRUIT IS GOOD FOR YOU. Eat!"
So you do.
Suddenly your mouth is filled with unimaginable sweetness. With a sensational swirling, tangy joy... flooding up from your tummy.
You’re laughing without a care.
And as the Gardener beams at you, you realise you're...
LOVED forever.
Approved forever.
Suddenly you see you're eating the fruit your heavenly Father HAS QUIETLY BEEN GROWING in the garden of your life.
The fruit of the Spirit...
"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Against such there is no law." [No shame either].
Galatians 5:22 NJKV
And over in the corner of the garden He's burning a rotting pile of the opposite fruit... the works of the flesh.
"Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are:
Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like;
Of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."
Galatians 5:19-21 NKJV
(Yuk. Erupting with putrid, puss filled shame that lot!).
Picking another handful of fresh ripe fruit Father continues...
"Oh, don't worry about the fire… I will burn all your rubbish up, just remember to bring it to me.
While it burns,
Eat as much of my special fruit as you wish ... my WORD is my fruit!
Because,
THE MORE YOU EAT... THE MORE THESE BUSHES GROW giving you MORE AND MORE FRUIT to eat which gives you life and strength... I planted them in you :)
Fill up, little one.
Keep...
"Being filled with the fruits of righteousness."
Philippians 1:11 KJV
Suddenly,
This sweet fruit is so overwhelming, so strong.
You feel dizzy.
And when you look up again...
Father is gone.
Yet,
Don't worry.
You can see Him time to time in the cool of the evening, but He's here anyway all times. Just invisible, until your eyes adjust.
So why just visit?
Why not STAY here ALL THE TIME. Why not abide here?
There is no shame here.
Remember...
GOD is PERFECT.
Do you think He makes ANY mistakes?
Do you really think He made a mistake CHOOSING YOU?
Of course not.
Abide with Him in the garden.
Oh and by the way,
If you see a snake or frog or God forbid... a pig in the long grass over there by the wall... cast them OUT.
Tell them your Father tends the garden and you have His SWORD. If they don't leave, you will chop them up and your Heavenly Father will throw them into His fire.
Go to it young one.
No shame.
No guilt.
No condemnation.
Sunshine. Sweetness. Light.
Everlasting joy.
It’s your birthright.
Bless you.
Dave
PS Pigs can create havoc in gardens. If you find them, or snakes or scorpions or frogs in yours.
Then this PDF below will show you how you get them out...
It's called...
Pigs in the Parlour - The Practical Guide To Deliverance.
Well over one million copies in print.
PPS Once I was filled with more shame than anyone could imagine.
And horribly it ended up being blurted out in front of the whole Church middle of a meeting.
Imagine that was you!
I can tell you, it was brutal.
Read…
'The Sin No One Talks About - Not Even Your Pastor."
If you don't believe me.
Yet afterwards when I walked out of the meeting…
After my Pastor and the whole congregation knew every sordid detail... it didn’t matter one bit. All was JOY, liberty and all my shame was gone.
Moral?
Tell someone your troubles.
Confess your sins if you have any.
Then no devil in hell, or satanic human agent can shame you, because all is out in the light where GOD lives and abides.
Stay in the garden with Him.
*No frogs or pigs?
"And I saw out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, as frogs."
Revelation 16:13 Darby
"And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.”
Matthew 8:31 ESV