Say Goodbye to Shame

Read John 4:1-38. Do you ever avoid God because you feel ashamed and guilty about something? That can be your experience before you become a Christian, but it can also happen when you’ve been a Christian for many years.

Jesus meets a woman at a well when she approaches in the middle of the day to draw water. Nothing unusual about that, you might think. Except that there were wells that were closer to the village she lived in – she had walked further than she needed to. And women generally drew water from the wells much later in the afternoon, when the temperature was cooler. What was this woman up to? It appears she may have walked further in the heat of the day to avoid contact with other women. She was ashamed.

This woman was a Samaritan. She was hated by the Jews. She was known to be living in sin – having had five husbands, the man she was now living with was not her husband. And she was a woman in a public place. No respectable Jew would have anything to do with her in such circumstances. But Jesus did. He shows remarkable grace to her, even though he is tired and thirsty.

If you’re loaded down with guilt today, why not allow Jesus to take your guilt away? If you dread judgment and rejection, why not sink into his acceptance of you? Jesus wants to speak with you. He wants to strike up a conversation. He loves and cares for you no matter who you are or what you’ve done. Today, you can rest in the unconditional love of your Saviour, Jesus Christ.

THINK IT OVER

Think about the following:

•Why is shame such a powerful trap in our lives?