Much of Christianity has promoted the premise that Humankind is sinful (especially you) and in need of Christ’s forgiveness. So far, good. But what is not so good is that even after Christ has saved and redeemed us, cast down the enemy, fulfilled the condemning law, and conquered sin and death – the Church has convinced believers they have an overwhelming “sinful nature”, even to the extreme of “total depravity”, with no capacity for righteousness or love. Consistent reminders of their sinful nature, by which they may stumble into sins (and some theologies say even fall from grace), keeps believers focused on the negative. Human nature as it is, they become dependent upon the Church for support, confidence and encouragement.

That might be ok, if it didn’t so often end up with the believers incapacitated by personal shame for every little lapse, and the organization controlling their members through the shame-salvation message they preach. We can see this pattern clearly in some famous cults that have manipulated their followers into exclusion and even mass suicide. But think how subtly it happens in many mainstream churches today as well.

Long before cult extremes, this pattern of shame can bring on a spiritual depression as easily as it does in the psychological and physical realms. Spiritual 'unworthiness' is debilitating and wounds the spirit (and the Spirit, perhaps.)

I have experienced how some churches, who foster this kind of spiritual self image, promote a shame-based Christian life. Worship becomes more about “this little worm grovels at the feet of the High and Mighty (unattainable) God,” rather than praising God in all God’s beauty and love just for Who God is. Church work done in this environment becomes co-dependent based, "I have to do all this and that for God, to show how grateful I am for the morsel fallen to the dog under the table."

We cannot continue to hide under the stairs tied up with guilt and shame. Shame warps all of our perceptions about life, making it all about "me" and shunting creative power. So much of the last 2000 years of Christian effort has been wasted by believers focused on sin and guilt.

Don’t misunderstand. If we have done something truly bad, God will poke us with real “guilt” which we can resolve and amend. True guilt is a good thing, akin to fear of danger, caution of harm, and physical pain. Hot stove – danger, caution! Poisonous snake, fear! Unkind words, offending joke, Guilt!

The problem is internalizing and generalizing the guilt, even after resolution, into shame. Guilt says, “I did wrong.” Shame says, “I am bad.” Spiritual shame says, “I am evil.”

An 'attitude' of shame is not the same thing as honest questions and doubts - these are good, often motivating. But frequently we feel shame about the doubts and that is not good; restricting and depressing, and we fall back into that incapacitating pattern.

If discouragement is coming from SHAME - get rid of it! I think SHAME is the Original Sin, and that is exactly what Christ freed us from. Constantly feeding oneself "I am not worthy" flies in the face of Christ's FINISHED work. Christian life is not at all about "me" – my sin, my guilt, my salvation - that part is completed.

It is time to ‘put on’ the glory and pride (the good kind) that Christ has given us and start thinking, "Christ is my brother - I am doing Christ's work on earth (co-creating)." We are chosen and made worthy for “even greater works than [Christ’s].”

©2009  David Loofbourrow  All Rights Reserved