When my son was just a little guy, he spilled his milk…which caused me to frown disapprovingly. But before I could make any verbal reproach, he pleaded, “No shame on me Daddy!”
I had apparently gotten accustomed to using the words, “Shame on you.” No parent should ever use that phrase…no teacher, no friend, no body.
Those of us who have struggled to recover from addictions have had to grasp the difference between shame and guilt. This difference determines our ability to ask for…and to accept forgiveness.
Simply put, I am ashamed of who I am…but I’m guilty of what I’ve done.
To be ashamed of who I am would be to say that God created a flawed, worthless and useless human being. Personally, I don’t think God works like that! I should have no shame for being who I am.
Still, I am guilty of many things. I have made bad choices, I’ve said things I shouldn’t have said, I’ve done things I shouldn’t have done, and I’ve been in places I shouldn’t have been. For all these mistakes…I am guilty.
But to be ashamed is an entirely different matter. I should never be ashamed of who God created. No, my son was right on target…”no shame on me, Daddy…no shame on me.”
