Conviction verses shame, I though I should write to you girls a little something about the subject. I mean what is the difference ? First let me say, I do not think shame comes from God. Both carry a heavy feeling in your stomach and heart. A feeling calling you to change, a feeling of repentance. But conviction to me has a joy to it, a feeling that “yes, now I see how wrong I was and now I can move forward, now I can do better“. Where shame is just that heavy feeling. There is never a release, it is all encompassing. I find when I feel shame, all the sudden nothing about me is good. All my past failures come back and haunt me. Things I have asked forgive for and moved forward, seem to pull me back, making me feel I have never changed. More importantly shame makes me feel I do not deserve forgiveness, I do not deserve change.
But this is a lie. Nobody is perfect, everyone struggles everyday to die to ones selfish self. But everyday also offers hope, change, growth, forgiveness is just around the corner. God tell us in His word
Romans 14:22
The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.
and
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
and
1 Corinthians 4: 14-16
I am not writing these things to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children. For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you. So I urge you to imitate me.
Yes, there is conviction, guilt, consequence for our actions when we sin. But the only thing holding us back, is ourselves. Forgiveness, redemption, growth, freedom, it always right there. It is God grace and gift to us, all we have to do is ask. So remember when you have repented and asked Gods forgiveness, it is done. Do not look back xoxoxox
Psalm 103:12
As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us