Lift up your face

if you put away the sin that is in your hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent,
then you will lift up your face without shame; you will stand firm and without fear.
You will surely forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by.
Job 11:14-16 (NIV)

One of the toughest battles I’ve had to fight since my salvation has been the struggle to overcome shame. This is an excerpt from my journal just before I got breakthrough in this area:
Shame is like platelets, its just part of my blood. It runs through my body and mind on a continual basis. I am ashamed of who I am, what I am, where I came from and where I’m going. I am ashamed of how I look, how I talk, what I say and how I think. I am ashamed of my body, my weight, my intelligence, my creativity, my talents and my humor. I am ashamed of everything about me. I am ashamed that I am me. I am ashamed that I am.

Although I believe that everything in the Bible is true, I wondered if I would live long enough to see my face lifted up without shame. I simply couldn’t imagine it. I couldn’t imagine not wishing I was someone else, somewhere else or something else. I couldn’t imagine being okay with being me.

The place I had to start was to recognize that, whether I’m okay with me or not, God still loves me. I am accepted in the Beloved, and He is pleased with me. Somehow it’s easier to accept myself if I think somebody else thinks I’m okay too. If you read the scripture at the top of the page again you’ll see some of the benefits of getting free from shame: standing firm, no fear, forgetting your troubles. It’s not an easy battle, but it’s well worth the fight. You are worth fighting for.

Question of the day:
What do I need to ‘put away from my hand’ so that my face can be lifted up?