I’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT YOU. NOT IN A DISTANT WAY, BUT IN THAT QUIET, WEIGHTY WAY WHERE YOU CAN FEEL SOMEONE CARRYING SOMETHING HEAVY. SHAME HAS A WAY OF DOING THAT. IT DOESN’T JUST SIT ON THE SURFACE. IT SETTLES DEEP. IT WHISPERS THINGS THAT FEEL TRUE, EVEN WHEN THEY’RE NOT. IT TELLS YOU TO PULL BACK, TO HIDE, TO STAY QUIET, TO KEEP YOUR DISTANCE FROM GOD UNTIL YOU CAN “GET IT TOGETHER.” (GENESIS 3:8–10)

BUT I WANT TO MEET YOU RIGHT THERE, NOT WITH PRESSURE, NOT WITH A LIST, BUT WITH TRUTH THAT ACTUALLY FREES. BECAUSE THE FINISHED WORK OF JESUS WAS NOT DESIGNED FOR THE VERSION OF YOU THAT HAS EVERYTHING FIGURED OUT. IT WAS GIVEN FOR YOU IN THE MIDDLE OF EVERYTHING YOU’RE FEELING RIGHT NOW. (ROMANS 5:8)

SHAME SAYS, “YOU NEED TO CLEAN YOURSELF UP BEFORE YOU COME CLOSE.” JESUS SAYS, “COME CLOSE BECAUSE I ALREADY MADE YOU CLEAN.” THOSE ARE TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT VOICES. ONE PUSHES YOU AWAY. THE OTHER DRAWS YOU IN. AND IF YOU’RE HONEST, YOU CAN FEEL THE DIFFERENCE. (HEBREWS 10:14, HEBREWS 4:16)

ON THE CROSS, JESUS DID NOT LEAVE ANYTHING UNFINISHED THAT YOU NOW HAVE TO FIX. HE TOOK YOUR SIN, YOUR GUILT, YOUR FAILURE, YOUR WORST MOMENTS, AND HE CARRIED ALL OF IT IN HIS BODY. NOT PART OF IT. NOT MOST OF IT. ALL OF IT. AND WHEN HE SAID IT IS FINISHED, HE MEANT THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT FOR YOU TO PAY. (JOHN 19:30, 1 PETER 2:24)

SHAME TRIES TO KEEP A RECORD THAT JESUS ALREADY ERASED. IT KEEPS BRINGING UP WHAT GOD HAS ALREADY DEALT WITH. IT TELLS YOU THAT YOU ARE WHAT YOU DID. BUT THE TRUTH IS, BECAUSE OF JESUS CHRIST, YOU ARE NOT DEFINED BY YOUR SIN. YOU ARE DEFINED BY HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. (COLOSSIANS 2:13–14, 2 CORINTHIANS 5:21)

I KNOW THE FEELING THOUGH. THAT MOMENT WHEN YOU WANT TO PRAY BUT FEEL LIKE YOU SHOULDN’T. THAT HESITATION WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT OPENING YOUR BIBLE. THAT INNER VOICE THAT SAYS, “WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?” THAT’S SHAME TALKING. AND IT’S LOUD. BUT IT’S NOT TELLING YOU THE TRUTH. (ROMANS 8:1)

THE TRUTH IS, GOD IS NOT PULLING AWAY FROM YOU RIGHT NOW. HE IS NOT DISAPPOINTED IN THE WAY SHAME MAKES YOU THINK. HE IS NOT WAITING FOR YOU TO PROVE ANYTHING BEFORE HE WELCOMES YOU. BECAUSE YOUR ACCESS TO HIM WAS NOT EARNED BY YOUR BEHAVIOR. IT WAS GIVEN THROUGH THE BLOOD OF JESUS. (EPHESIANS 2:13, HEBREWS 10:19–22)

YOU DON’T HAVE TO RUN FROM GOD UNTIL YOU FEEL BETTER. YOU CAN RUN TO HIM AS YOU ARE. NOT LATER. NOT AFTER YOU FIX IT. RIGHT NOW. BECAUSE THE DOOR IS ALREADY OPEN. JESUS DIDN’T CRACK IT OPEN AND SAY, “FINISH THE REST.” HE OPENED IT COMPLETELY AND SAT DOWN, MEANING THE WORK IS DONE. (HEBREWS 10:12)

AND HERE’S WHAT I WANT TO GENTLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO. DON’T AGREE WITH THE VOICE OF SHAME. YOU DON’T HAVE TO FIGHT IT WITH EFFORT. JUST STOP PARTNERING WITH IT. WHEN IT TELLS YOU TO HIDE, CHOOSE TO COME CLOSE. WHEN IT TELLS YOU YOU’RE DISQUALIFIED, REMIND YOUR HEART THAT JESUS QUALIFIED YOU. (HEBREWS 12:2)

YOU ARE NOT HONORING GOD BY STAYING DISTANT. YOU ARE HONORING WHAT JESUS DID WHEN YOU COME BOLDLY, EVEN WHEN YOU FEEL UNWORTHY. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU FEEL UNWORTHY. BECAUSE THAT’S WHEN YOU’RE ACTUALLY DEPENDING ON HIS FINISHED WORK AND NOT YOUR OWN. (HEBREWS 4:16)

THE LOVE OF GOD IS NOT FRAGILE TOWARD YOU. IT DOESN’T WEAKEN WHEN YOU STRUGGLE. IT DOESN’T DISAPPEAR WHEN YOU FALL. IT IS STEADY, CONSTANT, AND ROOTED IN WHAT JESUS ACCOMPLISHED, NOT IN WHAT YOU MANAGE TO DO RIGHT. (ROMANS 5:1, ROMANS 8:38–39)

SO LIFT YOUR HEAD. NOT BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS PERFECT, BUT BECAUSE JESUS IS. DRAW NEAR. NOT BECAUSE YOU’VE EARNED IT, BUT BECAUSE HE MADE A WAY. AND LET YOUR HEART REST AGAIN IN THE TRUTH THAT YOU ARE FULLY KNOWN, FULLY LOVED, AND COMPLETELY ACCEPTED IN HIM. (HEBREWS 10:22, EPHESIANS 1:6)


BRIAN ROMERO