Daily Devotional for March 16, 2017
Shame Off You
Casey was sitting on the edge of the deck, shoving a pointy stick into the muddy spring earth, when Grandpa sat down next to him.
“Hey, buddy. You’ve been quiet ever since your parents dropped you off to take your little brother to the hospital. Anything you want to talk about?” Casey shook his head. “Are you worried about your brother?” Grandpa asked.
Casey shrugged. “Kinda, I guess.” He thrust the stick harder into the ground, sending the sticky mud splattering onto his feet.
“You know it’s not your fault, right?” Grandpa put his arm around Casey’s small shoulders.
“But it is my fault. It was my idea to race our bikes. And I was the one who teased him for not wanting to go faster. He wouldn’t have broken his arm if it wasn’t for me.” Casey leaned into Grandpa’s arm and sniffled. “I’m always doing stuff like that. I—I’m a horrible person!” Casey buried his face in Grandpa’s chest and let his tears fall freely.
“Casey,” said Grandpa, “I know you feel bad, but that doesn’t mean you are bad.”
Casey lifted his head and looked at Grandpa. “What do you mean?”
“When we make poor choices, we know it’s sin and that we need forgiveness. But we also have to be careful not to allow shame to sneak in and tell us that we’re bad. Look at that stick you’re holding. It’s got mud on it, but it’s still a stick, right?”
“Well, yeah. Of course.”
“Well, shame is like the mud trying to convince the stick that it’s all mud. But it’s not. It just needs someone to clean the mud off.”
“So if I’m like the stick, then I just need someone to wash my mud away?” A smile came to Casey’s face. “You mean Jesus, right?”
“You got it,” said Grandpa. “Jesus took our sin and shame on Himself when He died on the cross. He washes us clean and makes us right with God. Because you trust in Jesus, that’s who you really are—shame has no place in your life. When you feel bad about something, confess your sin to Jesus and ask for forgiveness, and remember He took your shame off you.” – Tannis Oliveri
How about you?
Do you feel bad about something you did? Is it sticking to your heart like mud, making you feel dirty? Let Jesus wash the sticky mud of shame off you. Once you know Jesus as your Savior, sin and shame no longer have any claim on you. Ask Jesus to wash you clean by confessing what you did and asking for forgiveness.
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