Make no mistake about it, the battle against shame and self-contempt is never-ending. Their continual assault on our hearts and souls will never stop, at least this side of heaven. Because shame and self-contempt are two of the main weapons the enemy uses to triumph over those of us who struggle through life on a regular basis. The reason they are so effective is that, to a large degree, they are unrecognized. Somehow the enemy has convinced us that the voices we hear, telling us how miserable and worthless we are, come from ourselves rather than from him. What a brilliant strategy—to turn us against ourselves. Which then leads to further shame and self-contempt. It is a never-ending downward spiral.
That’s why I find so much comfort in the first few verses of Psalm 25. The words of this ancient prayer give me hope that this battle can—and will—be won. They also give me help in the fighting of this battle. The words of Psalm 25 give me weapons to use when I feel overwhelmed, beaten up, and defeated. They empower me when it feels like I am at the mercy of forces far greater and more powerful than I.
All I have to do is use them—by praying them. All I have to do is recognize the strategy of the enemy, lift my soul to the Lord, and trust in him rather than trusting in myself, or the world around me to tell me who I am and what I am worth. To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. In you I trust, O my God. When I lift my soul to the Lord, and trust only in my God, then shame and self-contempt begin to lose their grip on me. Then I am free to be the person that God created me to be. Thanks be to God!
Help us, O Lord, to lift our souls to you. Help us, this day, to walk in the truth of your love rather than the lies of the enemy. Amen.
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