I had a friend once ask, “In the middle of your sins, do you shame yourself or praise God?” Think of the last time that you sinned, how did you respond?
We accept verses like Romans 5:8 that speak of the initial love God has for us but we struggle to think He loves us when we are deep in our sins.
I am not saying God accepts or overlooks the sin we committed rather am saying that his love doesn’t change. God has taken care of all our sins through Jesus’ death on the cross showing that He loves us without any special condition.
Think about it this way: If you have kids does your love ever change for them? The correct answer should be, “no.” When that little baby is born you love them 100 percent. Yes, there are days you may not enjoy being around them, or they upset you or even let you down but you still love them 100 percent.
We default to shaming ourselves because that’s what we have been taught to feel. The world has taught us when you screw up you should feel shame for how terrible of a person you are.
What if we felt grace immediately instead of shame?
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Hebrews 4:15-16