Selwyn makes quite an interesting statement – ‘the root of shame is misplaced dependence’.
He recalls an occasion when he ministered to a woman – who, felt shame whenever she fell beneath her own standards. Selwyn told her that her shame was linked to idolatry – her god had become ‘perfection’. He concludes this study, this way: “The exposure of her trust in perfectionism (to make her feel ‘good’) rather than in the living God at first made her feel foolish, but eventually it led her to a deep trust in her heavenly Father.”
Maybe, shame is one of those emotions which is a red flag - with many, it’s a red flag that signals the loss of position in our community of peers. The circumstances which causes the ‘loss of face’ is often very different – from what may cause us shame as a teenager; as compared to when we are the ‘mature’ aged! Shame and grief may also be a useful red flag, when we realise that we have fallen short of what God requires of our lives. It may just be a temporary waving of this visible flag – but as long as we understand the cause of our shame – and what we need to do, to address the causes; then, as a warning which we notice and heed – it could be an useful emotion. What’s your view?
Idolatrous trust
Selwyn makes quite an interesting statement – ‘the root of shame is misplaced dependence’.
He recalls an occasion when he ministered to a woman – who, felt shame whenever she fell beneath her own standards. Selwyn told her that her shame was linked to idolatry – her god had become ‘perfection’. He concludes this study, this way: “The exposure of her trust in perfectionism (to make her feel ‘good’) rather than in the living God at first made her feel foolish, but eventually it led her to a deep trust in her heavenly Father.”
Maybe, shame is one of those emotions which is a red flag - with many, it’s a red flag that signals the loss of position in our community of peers. The circumstances which causes the ‘loss of face’ is often very different – from what may cause us shame as a teenager; as compared to when we are the ‘mature’ aged! Shame and grief may also be a useful red flag, when we realise that we have fallen short of what God requires of our lives. It may just be a temporary waving of this visible flag – but as long as we understand the cause of our shame – and what we need to do, to address the causes; then, as a warning which we notice and heed – it could be an useful emotion. What’s your view?