From Shame to Beauty (Women of the Word Bible Study Series) , livre ebook

Baker Publishing Group - Marie Powers

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73 pages

English

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There are two kinds of shame. Legitimate shame is a tool in the hands of a forgiving God; we feel it when we recognize our sin and turn to Him. False shame, on the other hand, is a tool in the hands of the enemy; Satan uses it to convince believers that they are not worthy of God's love and acceptance, and to turn them away from fellowship with Him. In From Shame to Beauty, readers will discover how to arm themselves against false shame and live confidently in the knowledge of God's love. This interactive study, ideal for individuals or small groups, guides readers through a process of healing from false shame that has plagued their lives and relationships. From Shame to Beauty features eight topical studies. Topics include "Characteristics of Shame," "Cause of Shame," "Contagion of Shame," "Cure for Shame," and more. Each week's study examines how false shame threatens the lives of believers, digs into Scripture to find out what God's Word has to say about it, offers readers the opportunity to reflect on their own struggle with shame, and suggests practical action steps to help readers apply what they have learned.

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Publié par	Baker Publishing Group
Date de parution	25 mars 2010
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781441269225
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	1 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0288€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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© 2010 Aglow International
Published by Chosen Books 11400 Hampshire Avenue South Bloomington, Minnesota 55438 chosenbooks.com
Chosen Books is a division of Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan. www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
Chosen edition published 2014
ISBN 978-1-4412-6922-5
Previously published by Regal Books
Originally published in 1998 in the Aglow Bible Study series as Shame: Thief of Intimacy.
Ebook edition originally created 2013
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version . Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Other versions used are:
AMP —Scripture taken from THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE, Old Testament copyright © 1965, 1987 by the Zondervan Corporation. The Amplified New Testament copyright © 1958, 1987 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
KJV — King James Version . Authorized King James Version.
NASB —Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible , © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
NIV —Holy Bible, New International Version ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Aglow International is an interdenominational organization of Christian women. Our mission is to lead women to Jesus Christ and provide opportunity for Christian women to grow in their faith and minister to others. Our publications are used to help women find a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, to enhance growth in their Christian experience, and to help them recognize their roles and relationships according to Scripture. For more information about our organization, please write to Aglow International, P.O. Box 1749, Edmonds, WA 98020-1749, U.S.A., or call (425) 775-7282. For ordering or information about the Aglow studies and other resources, visit the Aglow E-store at www.aglow.org .
To my husband, Jim, whose courage in breaking through his own walls of shame in order to walk in relationship has been an example to many, especially our children.
C ONTENTS
Foreword
Introduction
How to Start and Lead a Small Group
1. Contributors to Shame
2. Characteristics of Shame
3. Cause and Covers for Shame
4. Contagion of Shame (Part One)
5. Contagion of Shame (Part Two)
6. Cure for Shame (Part One)
7. Cure for Shame (Part Two)
8. Cure for Shame (Part Three)
From Shame to Beauty Leader’s Guide
F OREWORD
One day as Peter and John were about to enter the temple to pray, they came upon a man lame from his mother’s womb. He was carried to the temple gate called Beautiful and there asked alms of those who were entering. Seeing Peter and John, of course the man asked for alms. Little did he realize that what he was about to receive was far beyond a few shekels to help sustain his weak, weary body just to get it through one more day.
“Silver and gold I do not have,” Peter responded, “but I have something greater, something that will go to the core (source) of your lameness and bring wholeness to your life. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” Immediately the lame man received strength (see Acts 3:1-10).
The man wasn’t lame because of a recent illness, such as a degenerative disease. Nor was he lame due to an accident that caused him to stumble. He came into the world lame. He was lame from his mother’s womb! He entered the world without strength, without the ability to live life in a healthy way. In a sense, he came into the world a beggar. And this is how we have all come into the world.
Because of the fall of man, we all know a certain “crippledness” that hinders us from living life and from walking in the true joy of healthy relationships with God and with others. In this study, Marie identifies a profound form of our crippledness, and brings us through to a place of healing.
Through the pages of this study, you will see yourself again and again. As you read, you will hear the truth of God’s Word spoken clearly to your heart, saying, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk” (Acts 3:6).
I pray that as surely as the lame man at the Beautiful Gate received strength and wholeness, you, too, will find yourself leaping and praising God for your newfound health and vitality.
Jane Hansen-Hoyt
International President
Aglow International
I NTRODUCTION
Two Kinds of Shame
L EGITIMATE S HAME
A major principle in God’s master plan is that His people would walk in the light, a foundational condition for true fellowship (see 1 John 1:7). He intends that His people be open, honest, transparent, and free of masks and other self-protective strategies that keep us hidden from one another. Such was the figurative description of Adam and Eve before sin entered the world. They were naked and were not ashamed (see Genesis 2:25).
Then came the Fall.
God’s first two humans disobeyed God’s specific command. They sinned and knew they were naked. In fear and shame they scrambled to hide themselves. Frantically they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves from each other. Then they hid from God (see Genesis 3:8).
Thus, the terrible consciousness of shame entered the human soul. As traumatic and awful as it was to experience, their sense of shame caused a good thing. Good because it alerted them to the guilt of their sin and caused them to admit their failure. Good because it opened the door for God to provide a covering for their nakedness—a foreshadowing of Jesus’ death for us on the cross—that would be an eternal solution instead of the pitiful efforts of their own hands (see Genesis 3:21). 1
God’s intention for the awful sense of shame was that it would drive us to Him for forgiveness and restoration. This legitimate shame is directly connected to being wrong before God and is designed to be temporary. Once forgiven, we’re healed of our shame, and God intends that it be gone.
God’s remedy for legitimate shame is the cross of Christ.
F ALSE S HAME
There is another kind of shame, however, one that does not originate with God. This kind seems to have no beginning point, appears to have no remedy, and seems inescapable. The feelings of this kind of shame—we’ll call it false shame—are the same as those of legitimate shame: fear of being found out, naked and exposed, and fear of humiliation, rejection and ultimately abandonment. And we have the same need to hide ourselves from others.
The difference is that these feelings are not connected with sinful things we have done but with how we perceive ourselves at the core of our being: somehow flawed, irreparably defective, lacking in whatever we think qualifies us as fully acceptable members of the human race. As Christians living on the redemption side of the Cross, we should be impervious to such tormenting thoughts. The truth is, we’re not. Many of us continue to struggle with a deep sense of “not quite making it” or “not quite being enough.”
Enter Satan, the accuser of the brethren (see Revelation 12:10).
Satan not only accuses us before God day and night, but he also accuses us in our own minds. His goal is to cripple us for God’s purposes and rob us of a fully lived life.
The Spirit-Filled Life Bible defines Satan as, “An opponent, or the Opponent; the hater; the accuser; the adversary; enemy; one who resists, obstructs, and hinders whatever is good.” 2 He hinders us by continually whispering in our ears thoughts of inadequacy, inferiority and comparison with others. He knows the areas that are especially painful to each person and he reminds us of them over and over again.
We think they are our thoughts. Over the years they have become truth to us. To compensate, we wear masks instinctively constructed and put in place long ago to hide our unacceptable selves from the world. These, too, have become part of us and now seem like “who we are.”
The reason we call this false shame is because it is built on lies.
The remedy for legitimate shame is the Cross.
The remedy for false shame is the truth.
The goal of this Bible study is to help uncover the lies we’ve believed and to be set free by God’s truth.
If you are not in a group, we encourage you to go through the study with one other person, someone with whom you can discuss what you’re learning. Seek someone you can pray with, someone who will keep you accountable.
A N O VERVIEW OF THE S TUDY
This Bible study is divided into four sections:
1. A Closer Look at the Problem defines the problem and the goal of the study.
2. A Closer Look at God’s Truth gets you into God’s Word. What does God have to say about what you are facing? How can you begin to apply His Word as you work through each lesson?
3. A Closer Look at My Own Heart will help you clarify and further apply biblical truths in your own life. It will also give guidance as you work toward becoming free from shame.
4. Action Steps I Can Take Today is designed to help you focus on immediate steps of action.
W HAT Y OU W ILL N EED
• A Bible —The main Bible version used in this study is the New King James Version, but you can use whatever Bible translation you are used to reading.
• A Notebook —During this study you will want to keep a journal to record what God shows you personally. You may also want to journal additional thoughts or feelings that come up as you go through the lessons. Some questions may require more space than is given in this study book.
• Time to Meditate —Only through meditation on