 How has shame affected your life and your perspective of God? Popular YouTuber Rep Sian explains how it affects his life and why he left the church. Shame and guilt was something that even now at 29 years old I still deal with even though realistically I know that in situations that I've happened or things that I shouldn't feel guilt and I shouldn't feel shame for this, but it's unfortunately a part of religious trauma that when you spend more than half your life being told that this is wrong and you should feel bad for this it just you take those guilt and those shameful things and you apply them to different aspects of your life that wouldn't otherwise be applicable. Okay so first we should understand guilt and shame through a biblical lens. In the Garden of Eden as we read in Genesis all things were perfect there was no need to feel shame or guilt for our actions for our bodies for who we were and there was no reason to feel guilt for what we did. But when Adam and Eve sinned against God and sin entered the world the byproduct was the weight of shame and guilt placed on our shoulders. So it's important to know that an aspect of our guilt and shame is properly oriented and is healthy because we have actually sinned. Then we look at Jesus' work on the cross and he takes that guilt and shame on himself. In first John 1 9 it says if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. However I think what Repsion is talking about moves beyond that. What I think he's talking more about is that guilt and shame is used by people in leadership as a weapon to hold over their congregation for the purposes of behavioral modification. Often this kind of church environment treats its congregants as peasants who I was me and not as sons and daughters of the king. But in all seriousness tremendous hurt can come out of a graceless gospel. When believers are treated as if they're still sinners as if they're still you know worms and and no good and you know okay nobody really cares about you're just sinful trash. If that's how we treat people within the church man people are going to get a totally wrong perspective of who God is. We're going to begin to see him as an overbearing father rather than the loving shepherd who leaves the 99 to find the one lost sheep. In the midst of these kind of graceless church environments and just kind of communities in general many of us feel like we're not measuring up. God doesn't want us and it's almost our duty to sit in the shame we feel. We forget Christ's work on our behalf. You see in too many Christian circles self-condemnation is seen as pious while self-compassion is seen as selfish. Here's what I would have for us if we could begin to realize that self-compassion is simply an overflow of receiving and internalizing the compassion that God has already shown us. Through that we can begin to cast aside the shame and self-condemnation that has been weighing heavy on our shoulders and begin to step into the rest that God has invited us into. Let's talk more about why some Christians are still in bondage to shame. It's that we've often misinterpreted condemnation for conviction. You see when we sin, God convicts us through the Holy Spirit to draw us back to himself. In that instance we may feel guilt but it's all used as a means to draw us back to God in repentance. But it's important to know the difference between conviction and condemnation. The voice of condemnation is accusatory and shames us for thinking that we could ever be loved by God and draws us away from him. It causes us to it draws us into isolation. When we begin to listen to these lies shame begins to rule over us. No matter how hard we try, how much money we make, how many people we try to please, it's not enough to appease that shame, that voice inside of us. We need to recognize what that voice is. It is the evil one trying to get us out of the battle, trying to convince us that we could never be used by God. It's a lie. It's always been a lie and if nobody's ever told you this, that voice is wrong about you. In Christ you are fully loved and accepted and empowered by his power and his presence in your life to fulfill the calling that he has given you. The question truly is, when will you realize it? Thank you so much for watching guys. If you're new to this channel, my name is Isaac David and this is The Daily Disciple where I help you follow Jesus daily. If you got something from this video I'd encourage you to give this video a like and subscribe down below because I'm putting out new videos all the time. I'm able to put out these videos daily because of the people on Patreon that support me on a monthly basis. They help support my mission of helping people follow Jesus daily. If you want to support that mission as well and help support me on Patreon I'd encourage you to head to the link in my bio patreon.com slash daily underscore disciple. It would be a tremendous blessing to me and this ministry and you're helping me reach more people with the gospel with Jesus. Thanks again for watching and I'll see you next time. God bless.