lenten journey, day 28 — a prayer for the ashamed

Most of us have a voice that whispers accusingly in our ear. Though unwelcome, this voice is difficult to silence and oh so easy to believe. “You should be ashamed of yourself,” it says. “No one as guilty as you could ever stand in the presence of a holy God,” it taunts.

It is a voice from the pit.

Though the human race is fallen by choice and covered in flesh by design, we are made in God’s image, with something of his perfect plan for creation still rattling around in our DNA. C.S. Lewis calls this the Natural Law—an innate understanding of the best, most desirable way to live. It’s a law that everyone understands and everyone breaks.

I truly do believe that most people want to live “good” lives. You don’t have to be a believer to know that generosity is preferable to selfishness, that love is better than hate, that peace is better than strife. Even the littlest child (who probably deep down inside knows that the cosmos exists for her pleasure alone), wants so badly for her mommy and daddy to think she is a “good” child that she actually learns to curb her selfishness.

Yet our attempts to lead “good” lives will always come up short, because, honestly, we’re just not that good. We’re fallen, we’re broken, we’re enslaved by flesh and enthralled by desires. And because we know we’re so far from where we really need to be, we’re vulnerable to the voice from the pit when it speaks guilt and shame into our lives.

But for those who have put their faith in Christ, God lives and breathes in and through us. We wear his righteousness like a beautiful cashmere sweater that covers up the tattered, imperfect, and downright ugly sin-rags underneath. Simply put, when God looks at us, he sees Jesus. And no amount of good or bad behavior on our part will ever change that.

We’re not guilty anymore. Period. Now…you can try to whisper in my ear all you want, you lying voice from the pit. But I won’t be listening.

God of all mercy, thank you for rescuing me from a lifetime of believing the voice from the pit. Thank you for sending your son Jesus to pay such an extravagant ransom for me. You have truly bought me and freed me. Would you use me to speak the truth of your redemption into the lives of the guilt-stricken and the ashamed? Would you put in me great affection for those who do not see any way out of the despair that comes from leading a disappointing life? Jesus, you came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. And in your abundant life, there is simply no room for shame and self-reproach. Yes, and amen.

Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. — Psalm 34:5

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. — Romans 8:1-2