Shame and Art

We are each infused with the life and nature of our Creator, made in His image, set apart from all other creatures to think, speak, and live like God. Not to be God, but to be reflections of Him. How far we have fallen. Right? That’s what we would say. What a shame, what Eve did, what she made Adam do, that we now have fallen so far away from our original purpose. What a shame that we cannot be as we once were—whole, pure sons and daughters who lived in intimate fellowship with the One who breathes life into everything and who loves radically and infinitely.

What a shame.

And yet, something deep inside calls to us, pulls out of us a desire for things beyond this realm, for a life we seem to know but have never experienced. Many of us turn to art and creativity to try to express these deep unfulfilled longings. We are trying to get back to who we really are; we are trying to find the One we first fell in love with.

But we are ashamed.

Nothing comes out quite right. There are walls seemingly surrounding us, people gloating over us, failures and weaknesses taunting us. Sins we cannot master over.
A friend recently told me of a time she was talking to a leader in a church. This leader said that one of the biggest issues and hindrances plaguing our generation of Christian young people is shame. What an obstacle this has been! I think I know without even having to ask that we have all hid our faces in shame multiple times, probably even within the past week. And it is keeping us from moving forward, from emerging, from living beyond the status quo! Our destinies are being jeopardized by shame!
We want God to use us, we want to create beautiful things just like He does, we want to find His heart in our prophetic creations. But shame holds us back. We think we are not good enough to be used, that we have too many fears, make too many mistakes.

Why can’t we get past this?

It is because we feel like there is something wrong with us. We need the revelation that God knows we will mess up! But He does not see us that way. If we are born again, He truly only sees His Son. Because that is what He chose to see. And when He sees His Son, who gave up everything for His heart and glory, He cannot help but love. So you see, His love is never taken from us. If we will only confess our sins in openness and surrender them to His great love, He will take them from us. For good.

Shame is an unnecessary block to our growth.
It is a needless enemy to our creativity.

God can and will use all our broken pieces from our messed up lives to bring about good in our generation.
They are waiting. You know who some of them are, you don’t know who others are. But they are waiting for the sons and daughters of God to be revealed.
Let the Creator use your brokenness to set our generation free! Only He can do something so amazing. Stop hiding behind shame, because Jesus looks at us as if we have never sinned. There is no limit to what He can do with that!