Today let us think about to emotions, guilt and shame. For this I invite you to look at two characters or ladies in the Bible. Their names are Sarai and Hagar. Their story is found in Genesis 16. The story of one woman who was married to a husband who loved her, but could not have children. A woman who was an unmarried slave, and was able to have children. Which do you think was more likely to lean to guilt and which to you think would lean toward shame?
"Abram agreed to what Sarai said. 3 So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. 4 He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.
When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.”
6 “Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.
7 The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”
“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.
Bringing it home, which emotion do you or I tend to cradle daily? For me it can be both at the same time. So many times I allow myself to feel the shame of inadequacy. I also wear the guilt of past actions. For me it comes up in my early years of parenting. As the children are growing up, I see so many things I want to take ownership. This often causes that emotion of guilt and shame.
This is why I love the word of God. I find so much comfort in who I am with God. I can accept my wrong, but trust in God's over all plan, not just for me but for my children. It takes patience and trust. This why this year we are focusing on facetime. We must keep our face in the face of God, so we can receive the help and healing we need.
Get your facetime in today! Read Genesis 16 and see the entire story. There are some comfortable and uncomfortable truths that will free us from the secrecy of guilt and shame which is "God Sees you" and not only does He See, but He has a plan.
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