“I keep fighting voices in my mind that say I’m not enough
Every single lie that tells me I will never measure up
Am I more than just the sum of every high and every low?
Remind me once again just who I am, because I need to know”

This is the first verse to Lauren Daigle’s latest song, “You say.”

When we don’t meet our standards or the standards that society holds us to, it’s easy to become consumed with feelings of disappointment and even shame. When we experience these feelings, we are not alone.

“ In you, Lord my God, I put my trust.
I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame…”

                                                    – Psalm 25:1-2 NIV 

 Throughout the chapter 25 of Psalms, the psalmist wrote about the feeling of shame. It is clear that the psalmist didn’t want to feel ashamed. What is shame? And, why do we experience shame?

Google defines shame as “a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior.” Sometimes shame can be the result of actually doing something wrong (sinning). In that case, we need to come to God with repentant hearts and sincerely ask for forgiveness. However, a lot of times we can be tormented with shame for things that are not bad or not our fault.

We feel ashamed of our past failures or mistakes. We start to let our past define us. When that happens, we get stuck in our past. During these times we fail to realize that failure might be God’s way of redirecting us.

We feel ashamed of our weaknesses and shortcomings. We can’t let our weakness define us. They will only limit us and hinder us. When we feel embarrassed about our weaknesses, we need to remember that in our weaknesses we can find God’s strength. In 2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV, Paul wrote about how God’s “… power is made perfect in weakness.”

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

-2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV

We can even feel guilt or shame for the actions of our family or close friends. But, we are not responsible for the actions of others. We can’t let that define us. Our identity is in Christ.

Think about the chorus and second verse of Lauren Daigle’s song:

“You say I am loved when I can’t feel a thing
You say I am strong when I think I am weak
You say I am held when I am falling short
When I don’t belong, oh You say I am Yours
And I believe, oh I believe
What You say of me
I believe
The only thing that matters now is everything You think of me In You I find my worth, in You I find my identity, ooo-oh”

Dear Lord Jesus, please help us not to worry so much about what other people think about us. Please help us not to let shame define our who we are. Please help us to see ourselves as You see us. Please help us to remember that our identity is in You. Amen.