details and car doors.

chances are, if you reach into the console on my driver's side door, you'll stumble upon the remnants of some of my previous stumbling blocks.  i'm not porting drugs, mind you; but there might be a Krispy Kream wrapper, some Grandma's cookie packaging, or that McDonald's hash brown paper from my road trip.

i've dubbed this console my "shame compartment."

it's full of all the trash and left overs that are too unsightly to leave out in the open, yet, there's no proper place to dispose of them at the time.  then, at the end of the day, i get in my car and let out a huge sigh, and see the evidence of my poor nutritional choices before me.  even cleaning it out just trudges me through the guilt once again.

it's amazing how many of us Christians drive through life with a 'shame compartment' somewhere in our hearts.

we're reminded of our poor choices.  our missed chances.  our past that catches up to us.  we're confronted by memories of failures.  lies that come back to haunt us.  the feeling of a dirtiness so permanent that even oxy-clean doesn't stand a snowball's chance in Haiti of cleaning up the mess.

and we should be reminded.  we should know the depths of our sin.  it makes Him furious.

Quit your worship charades. I can't stand your trivial religious games: Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings— meetings, meetings, meetings—I can't stand one more! Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them! You've worn me out! I'm sick of your religion, religion, religion, while you go right on sinning. When you put on your next prayer-performance, I'll be looking the other way. No matter how long or loud or often you pray, I'll not be listening. And do you know why? Because you've been tearing people to pieces, and your hands are bloody. -Isaiah 1:13-16 MSG

oh, but for hope!  glorious hope we have in Christ!  it doesn't end there!  we are not shamed back into the very pit He came to extend us grace and His hand to get us out of!  We're not left on our own to sort it out.

"Come now, let's settle this," says the Lord.  “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow.  Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool."  - Isaiah 1:18 NLT

He will wash us clean.  He will get rid of the dirt and grime and blood that keep us from shining for Him.  In fact, almost always, He uses those things for His glory.  He works all things together for the good of those that love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:23).  Yes, even that thing.  That thing you still feel shamed over, guilty over, regretful over.  "Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy."

We are promised everlasting joy in lieu of our shame.  How many of us are truly walking in that incomparable joy? Instead, we lug around our past in a side-tote, settling with living a self-righteous guilt instead of laying them at the foot of the Cross.  The things that catch up with us from our past, those are the things that God intends to use for our good, and that the enemy ties to use us to shame us out of believing that we are even worthy of Christ's love any longer.

"Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? ...  No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loves us."  (Rom. 8:35, 27)

I charge you to look that thing in the eyes, stand tall and firm, and demand, "Get behind me, Satan!"  The Lord has already promised He will use ALL things, not just the beautiful things, together for our good.

In Ephesians, we are called to put things into the light.  "For you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of the Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.  Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead, even expose them; ... all things become visible when they are exposed by the light."  (Ephesians 5:8-13)

We are given some responsibility in the task; we do not sit on our hands.  Rather, the Lord gives us a few specific instructions in the cleansing of our shame compartment:

Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight.  

Give up your evil ways.   --Isaiah 1:17

I challenge you this week to get out the armor-all and windex.  Get that shame compartment cleaned out!  be honest about what's in there; recognize it, and then let it go.  Seal it up, and don't deposit anything in there that belongs directly in the trash, or, on a shelf as part of your story of redemption.  You're not meant to live in shame.  it was for freedom we have been set free!  Our freedom in Christ is not dependent on our past.  He will do the detailing, but we've first got to clean out that compartment.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.  --Romans 8:38-39