Devotional from Pastor Tim

Guilt whispers, “You messed up.” Shame shouts, “You are the mess.” Many of us have lived under the weight of both for so long that they feel familiar—almost spiritual. But they’re not. Guilt and shame are not God’s tools; they are tactics of the enemy. They don’t come from your Father. They don’t reflect His heart.

God never intended for guilt and shame to motivate you into better behavior. In fact, they do the opposite. They push you into hiding, performing, pretending. That’s because guilt condemns your actions, while shame attacks your identity. But here’s the good news: God already dealt with both at the cross. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1), which means you are fully accepted, completely loved, and totally forgiven.

Your Father doesn’t motivate through fear or shame; He motivates through love. God isn’t trying to shame you into change. He invites you to trust the change He’s already made. You’ve been made new, and your identity has radically changed from sinner to saint, from condemned to cleansed, from unworthy to beloved. No matter how you feel, this is the truth. Shame and guilt may echo in your mind, but they are not coming from God.

When you understand that in Christ you are a new creation, loved beyond measure and fully forgiven, the power of guilt and shame begins to fall away. You can come out of hiding as you no longer need to be controlled by how you feel or defined by what you’ve done. The finished work of Jesus has given you a brand-new identity: child of God.

His love frees, empowers, and transforms you. Let His love be the loudest voice today.

“For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died.” 2 Corinthians 5:14