Love Does Not Traffic in Shame
THIS has been on my heart for the last month and I wanted to share:
LOVE does not traffic in shame and disrespect.... (1 Cor. 13:5)
Often we (Christians) traffic others in shame, guilt, and disrespect because we do not approve of their actions. It makes us feel better to "call them out", gossip about them (often in the form of a "prayer request"), and/or try to "fix them" aka- (get them to submit to our ways).
We throw scripture at them instead of being the life, love, and light of the scripture.
We would rather play the ole "victim" and the "poor me" than extend grace and LOVE!
We think in our minds:
“OH, I would never________. “
OR
“I cannot believe __________.”
All the while, we are entangled in our own prideful chains and iniquitous messes that we refuse to acknowledge or deal with our own crap. So, we project our pain and our shame onto others and let them be our scapegoat.
It is so much easier to judge someone else than it is to look within our own heart.
It is so much easier to pick them apart because we don’t understand them than to offer grace in the lack of own understanding.
It is so much easier to shame and blame them than to OWN OUR OWN STUFF.
I know first-hand because I have done this. (Which I am very sorry for)!
Thank GOD, that MY SOURCE AND CREATOR revealed the truth of what I needed to see ---- which was I need to look within. The issue was not “them”, it was “me”. I needed healing within the deeper layers of my internal landscape. And in the places where I was trafficking shame onto others, God revealed it was actually a reflection of the hidden shame in my own life. So, I had to accept my crap! I had to offer forgiveness to myself and ask for it from the others. I had to own my pain and deep dive within. And in the darkness, GOD was there waiting for me.
In this place of ownership, GOD reminded me of the story in John 8 where the woman was caught in the
“ACT'' and brought before Jesus. She was made to stand in the middle of everyone. They were standing in their pride and publically calling her out, trafficking her IN SHAME AND DISRESPECT. They were going to “set her straight'' and make sure everyone knew their side of the story about her. BUT LOVE had another plan. That day there would be NO trafficking her in shame and disrespect --- NO! She would be trafficked and covered in LOVE and sheltered in God’s grace. HIDDEN! NOT CONDEMNED! --- LOVED! NOT SHAMED! --- And UNBOUND! NOT ENTRAPPED!
WOW! HELP ME GOD LOVE LIKE THIS! HELP ME TELL YOUR STORY OF LOVE ABOUT OTHERS!
How can we as Christian’s live this type of love out? How can we stop shaming others, especially when we have not walked in their shoes nor taken inventory of our own internal real estate? --- I ask you to check within your own heart and ask GOD if you are projecting your pain, pride, shame, and anger onto others and possibly blaming them for your discomforts and dissatisfaction. I AM ASKING MYSELF THE SAME QUESTIONS.
IT IS TIME TO STOP TRAFFICKING OTHERS IN SHAME AND DISRESPECT ----- “FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE…….”
We are called to LOVE. That does not mean agree with; that MEANS LOVE!
Who are you trafficking in shame and/or disrespect to make yourself feel better?
REMEMBER…………… “LOVE NEVER STOPS LOVING” (1 Corn. 13)
P.S. - Join me LIVE every Tuesday at 10:00 am CST on my FACEBOOK PAGE - “Ashley White Wellness” - where I give you encouragement and tools to help you voice and honor your anger and grief.
