Everyone wants to avoid shame. I have never met a soul whose desire was to feel more shame, unless they were creating their own shame in order to feel in control of the unwanted shame they could not control. We will go to extremes to protect ourselves from the devastating power of shame.

Shame’s innate reproach is so scathing the only sensible escape seems tobe hiding or keeping it a secret, not even allowing your brain to fully digestwhat you feel or think about yourself. The presence of shame creates the desireto crawl under a rock or disappear.

All souls have a desperate desire to evade shame. Shame was the most immediatereaction to the presence of sin. When Adam’s and Eve’s eye were openedand they realized they were naked (Genesis 3:7), they felt shame. They, likethe rest of us, hid in their shame, first from each other and then from God.

Shame is so powerful, evading seems the only solution. Becoming invisible ornot exist at all becomes the hearts desire. It may feel like a resolution tous, but it never fully solves our problem with shame.

There is one and only one way to be free from shame. Paul quoted Isaiah 28:16when he said, “As the Scripture says, Anyone who trusts in him will neverbe put to shame.”

Do you want to be free from shame? How have you tried to escape shame’sdeath grip on your soul?

Have you experienced the cleansing power of trusting Christ? The release of shame’sdevastation is powerful. Imagine knowing that you are the kind of person whocould do that (whatever that is for you) or could have experienced that (sometimesour greater shame stems from what someone else did to us rather than what wedid), and you are totally released from shame simply by trusting in Christ’slove.

Romans 5:5 says that God pours His love on us by the Holy Spirit. Love pouredout is like a shower that rinses away all residue of shame.

You do not have to keep devising ways to hide from shame. Adam’s and Eve’sfig leaves are proof that hiding isn't an eternal solution. You can find eternalrelief simply by trusting in Christ.

Why live with shame when you have an antidote?