Throughout our lives we absorb stories about God, about ourselves, and about the world. Lent invites us to gently lay some of these stories down. In each post in this Lenten series, Pastor Nate will name one belief that may no longer be serving our faith and explore how Christ reshapes it.

Lent is a season of unlearning.

And one of the deepest patterns many of us carry is the belief that shame is what motivates change.

If we feel bad enough about ourselves, we assume we will finally become better people. If we are harsh enough in our self-judgment, maybe we will correct our mistakes and live more faithfully.

Shame tells us that transformation comes through humiliation. But the Gospel tells a different story.

When Jesus encounters people who have failed; people like the tax collectors, or the woman caught in adultery, or Peter after his denial; when Jesus speaks with these people he never begins with shame. He begins with grace. Repeatedly, Jesus speaks words that restore dignity before he calls anyone toward a new way of living.

As the apostle Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

Shame traps us in the past but grace opens the future.

Lent invites us to face our failures honestly, but not through the crushing weight of shame. Instead, we bring our brokenness into the presence of a God who already knows and still loves us. What we discover is that gracious love has far more potential to transform us than shame ever did. 

Because the real power for change does not come from humiliation, it comes from mercy.



Reflection question:
Where might shame be shaping your spiritual life more than the freedom of God’s grace?