Shame...who hasn't experienced it? Shame can so easily become toxic. Listen to this passage in Jeremiah 31. "I was ashamed of my past, my wild unruly past. Humiliated, I beat on my chest. Will I ever live this down?"

Shame can feel overwhelming, partly because it high-jacks our brain.
Brene Brown says the solution for shame is vulnerability and courage. Verbalizing shame attacks to safe people is so redemptive. God encourages us to confess to one another and to bring those shameful feelings into connection and community. He also wants us to experience his feelings he has for each of us.

"Oh! Ephram is my dear, dear son, my child in whom I take pleasure! Every time I mention his name, my heart bursts with longing for him! Everything in me cries out for him. Softly and tenderly I wait for him."

Can you hear the passionate love God that has for you? He longs for you! Shame, whatever the cause does not cut you off from Him. He delights in you!
The valuable lesson that Nancy unpacks with Amy Ford in this podcast is that no matter your history or how shame has kidnapped your heart, we can find hope in the truth that God delights in you, His heart bursts with longing for you, He waits for your return.

Shame cuts all of us off from love.

Let the warmth of his love banish toxic shame from your life! Tune in to hear more from Nancy about God's love! 

Nancy Houston is a Townsend Leadership Director for John Townsend's Leadership Program. She leads groups in New York and Texas. She loves to help people reach their full potential by empowering and equipping them to be fully alive. Through connection and community, the program provides a safe structure for people to grow and develop their personal leadership skills. Limitations are removed and new possibilities emerge. Nancy is a licensed and professional counselor with a certification as a Christian Sex Therapist. 

For more information on Nancy and what she's up to, follow her facebook page!