No Time For Shame (August 2018)

Heard a song yesterday on my way to Tallapoosa from Heflin (yes, those are real places) and it was perfect for that drive and for life in general.  The title is, "No Time For Shame" and that's the declaration of it.  There's no time to be filled with shame because we weren't created to live that way.  We were created to bring God glory and if we are ashamed of our lives, how can we draw people in?  How could we possibly point them to Him and the grace He pours out?  That's right, we can't.

This weekend I was visiting some friends that live near where I'm from.  Now, by no means am I ashamed of where I'm from.  I'm glad to be where I am but I love where I'm from.  Just as someone from my old church said years back, "it's always going to be home."  For far too long I saw that place as a place of shame because of decisions I had made and quite honestly thought they'd define me forever.  Like the song says, "I don't have time for shame.  I was made for more.  I just gotta believe what you're saying about me."  Y'all, we have pressing matters at hand.  If you're a Christian, you are called to live life to the fullest and point others to the Creator, the only one who knows all and loves us best.  That's is a BIG DEAL!  If we are constantly dwelling on the past or things we regret, we're unable to truly love others with all we have and we can't even remotely move forward in freedom.

What are you ashamed of?  If you haven't had anyone tell you that it's going to be alright, allow me to do the honor...it really is going to be okay.  What you've done or had done to you doesn't have to define you.  You and I were made for so much more than what we all too often are willing to settle for.  It's a daily (sometimes moment by moment) choice to believe the truth of the Bible.  Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."  By walking in obedience, we find sincere joy and as we strive to honor God with our whole selves, I firmly believe joy is stirred up within us.  We don't have time to live in shame because our days our numbered here.  We get to live in freedom and joy when we are in Christ.  What are you waiting for?  Let's keep moving forward.