LENT Day 32

Lent Devotional

Day 32 – Thursday, March 26, 2026

"Letting Go of Shame"

Author: Pastor Christen

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Scripture: Isaiah 1:18 & Hebrews 12:11

There’s a difference between conviction and shame and it matters more than we often realize.

Over the years, the Church has sometimes used shame as a way to try and lead people back to God. And to be fair, the heart behind it was often right. People wanted others to recognize sin, turn, and find life in Jesus. But here’s the problem:

Shame doesn’t lead people to freedom. It traps them. Shame whispers, “You are the problem.”

Conviction says, “There is a problem—and God wants to restore you.”

And when shame takes over, people don’t run to God… they hide. They feel judged. They feel stuck. They feel like church isn’t a safe place to be honest about where they really are. But that was never God’s design.

Isaiah 1:18 gives us a different picture:“Come now, let’s settle this… though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow.”

That’s not the voice of shame. That’s the voice of invitation.

Hebrews 12:11 reminds us that God does discipline us—but His discipline isn’t about pushing us down. It’s about lifting us up. It produces “a harvest of righteousness and peace.”

Shame produces hiding. God’s discipline produces healing.

As the Church, we have to be different. We create spaces where people are welcomed as they are not because sin doesn’t matter, but because grace is greater. We don’t ignore sin but we refuse to weaponize shame. We point people to Jesus, not as a judge waiting to condemn, but as a Savior ready to restore. And maybe today, this isn’t just about how we treat others. Maybe it’s about what you’re carrying. Some of us are still holding onto shame from something God has already forgiven. And if that’s you, hear this clearly:

God is not asking you to carry what He already died to remove.

Let it go. Not by pretending it didn’t happen. But by bringing it fully into the light. Because in Jesus, you are not defined by your worst moment. You are defined by His grace.

Prayer

Jesus, thank You that You don’t use shame to control me, but love to restore me. Help me release the shame I’ve been holding onto and receive Your forgiveness fully. Shape my heart to reflect Your grace, so others would feel safe to come to You too. Amen.