55. Exploitation of our Shame

Isn’t our sin embarrassing? Not just the obvious ones, but ungodly attitudes as well! We instinctively cover sin up, trying to appear more respectable than we really are. No doubt pride has a lot to do with this.

When we sin, don’t we tend to run from God? We do this not just because we sense God’s displeasure, but because we think no one else has these problems. “How could I do something so displeasing to God? What inner flaw would provoke me to even think of such a thing?”

Trying to keep sin hidden always leads to an oppressive sense of shame. Shame has a crippling effect in a person’s life. Psychologists say that it’s often at the heart of emotional dysfunction. So it’s not hard to see how Satan—who is called “the accuser of our brethren”—can use shame as a wedge to drive us from God.

“Child of”