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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for October 28, 2010
“Jesus Will Heal Your Shame”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
Have you ever felt shame?
Shame is hard to define. It is similar to embarrassment and humiliation and guilt, but there are differences.
Embarrassment and humiliation involve other people, but you can feel shame whether anyone else knows about it or not.
Guilt can bring shame, but not all shame comes from guilt.
There are different kinds of shame, but listen to this. I believe Jesus can heal us from all of them.
Shame is never a laughing matter. Yes, you may do something embarrassing or even humiliating and laugh about it later, but you never laugh about shame. Shame is never funny, not now, not ever. If you’ve ever felt shame, you know it’s true.
Shame runs deep. It cuts deep. It scars deep, and there seems to be no getting over it, but I will say it again. I believe Jesus can heal us from shame.
In Matthew 11:28 Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
If you feel the weight of shame, then you are “heavy laden,” and Jesus says to you, “Come unto me.”
We come to Jesus that we may have life. (John 5:40)
Jesus said He would never reject those who come to Him. (John 6:37)
In John 10:10 Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
Jesus offers us abundant life, and the abundant life does not include shame.
(play these lyrics from “Lost in You Again” by Fred Hammond: “…found all the drama…found all the shame…no my search will not end…”)
Perhaps the most obvious source of shame is guilt over our own sins. We did it. We know we did it. Maybe no one else knows, but we know, and we feel shame.
The good news is that Jesus can heal us of our shame from guilt. First John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Then we need to do like Paul said in Philippians 3, forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead, toward the goal for which God has called us.
Our guilt will be forgiven and forgotten, and we will be healed of our shame.
(play these lyrics from “God Did a Wonderful Thing” by an unknown elderly gentleman: “I was a sinner all covered with shame, lost and defiled with no merit to claim. Somehow God loved me in spite of my sin; saved me, redeemed me and cleansed me within…”)
Another kind of shame is the shame of the victim. In this case, you are not at fault, yet you feel shame.
Perhaps your father was the town drunk. Perhaps your mother slept around. The shameful behavior of parents can give birth to a deep shame in their children, through no fault of their own.
A crime victim can feel shame. An abuse victim can feel shame. If someone has done something wretched to you, making you feel powerless and worthless, it’s not your fault, but you can carry a great burden of shame.
Jesus can heal that shame. Bring your burden of shame to Him and lay it at His feet.
And He is going to prescribe a treatment for you. He is going to ask you to forgive the person that dealt you that shame. And He is going to ask you to love them.
That sounds impossible, I know. But it is possible through the power of God’s Holy Spirit working through you. So once again, the answer is to bring it all to Jesus.
And if there was some kind of secret abuse, I think you should consider exposing that to the light. Light has a way of killing the spores of shame. That means telling a reliable, wise person what happened.
It will likely be a process, but I believe that through it, Jesus will heal you of your shame.
(play these lyrics from “You Are My All in All” by Nicole Nordeman: “Taking my sin, my cross my shame…rising again I bless Your name…You are my all in all…”)
A third kind of shame is the shame of the outcast. This shame doesn’t come through your sin or the sin of someone else. It’s just a feeling of shame about your place in this world.
Maybe you aren’t one of the beautiful people. Maybe you were born with what some would call a “defect.” Maybe you were injured or disfigured. Perhaps you bear a terrible scar. Or maybe you just don’t feel like one of the smart ones or the athletic ones or the cool ones.
There are many reasons why you may bear the shame of the outcast, but Jesus can heal your shame.
First of all, remember that these outward things are not that important. First Samuel 16:7 says, “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Don’t look at yourself like a failure through the eyes of the world’s failed system. Instead, look at yourself as a new creation in Christ on whom the Father has lavished His love.
Ephesians 2:10 says we are His workmanship.
King Solomon said God has made everything beautiful in its time.
You have been wonderfully made, you are highly valued by your Creator, and there is no shame in Him.
You don’t have to bear the burden of shame.
Whether it’s the shame of the guilty, the shame of the victim, or the shame of the outcast, listen to me.
Jesus can heal your shame.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
(close with these lyrics from “I’m Trading My Sorrows” by Israel Houghton: “I’m trading my sorrow. I’m trading my shame. I’m laying them down for the joy of the Lord….”)
© 2010 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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