The results are in

A label that tries to cling to you is:

Guilt / Shame

Jesus longs for you to move from feeling guilty and ashamed to worthy and restored.

"My hope is in You so I will never be put to shame."

— Psalm 25:3

So what does it really mean?

Feelings of shame cause us to behave secretively. We hide from others because we fear others’ judgment. We continually compare ourselves to others and beat ourselves up over even the smallest of mistakes or imperfections. We feel we must be perfect in order to be worthy. Even though we believe Jesus died for our sins we still feel dirty or unlovable.

Hello there!

BEFORE WE GET TOO FAR INTO THIS...

Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Erica Wiggenhorn.

Growing up in a home with an alcoholic, I took every precaution to keep my secret safe. Attending a Christian high school, all of my friends’ parents seemed to have perfect marriages and happy homes. No one could know the anger and rage that went on within the four walls of my house.

Shame imprisons us. We live in self-condemnation and fear of others’ criticism. Jesus’ death and resurrection provides more than forgiveness, it also provides cleansing from all past sin. He restores our dignity as a child of God and removes our past impurities from us.

To live in freedom from shame, we must develop habits in our lives to silence the enemy’s false accusations regarding our worth and our future. We primarily do this through the truth of what the Bible teaches about God and our redemption through Christ’s work on the cross.

I’ve made it my life’s work to simplify the Bible: I’m here to show you how to apply Scripture to YOUR life! Let’s move from nice thoughts and simple platitudes to getting real and practical. Jesus died to give us new LIFE!

🙌 Together, we’ve got this 🙌

Three tips to move from feeling guilty and ashamed to worthy and restored:

Meditate on Scripture & Pray Scripture Filled Prayers

(Heads up! I’ve crafted a personal prayer specifically for you and it’s headed to your inbox soon!)

Keeping Scripture before you helps balance out your emotions. Truth is your anchor when a storm of emotions starts to swirl around you. Download these two free lockscreens to keep your desire for wisdom always before you:

Ezekiel 36:26
Romans 8:1

Share them on IG and tag me @ericawiggenhorn. I can’t tell you how much it will bless me to know these encouraged you!

Utilize a prayer journal.

Prayer can reduce anxiety and enhance mental clarity. Setting aside the same time every day, before you study, can calm your nervous system, rewire neural pathways and set you up to get the most out of the wisdom found in Scripture. Writing out your feelings in response to your circumstances and what you found in Scripture will help sort out your emotions and apply truth to them.

Shame entices you to pull away and isolate yourself from others. Intentionally pursuing time with God and others who love Him and you will be necessary to silence the lies of the accuser against you. Remind yourself daily that you are a new creation. Start your day with these journal prompts to reorder your thoughts toward the peace Jesus longs to give you.

LORD, today I am condemning myself over:

I confess that speaking these lies over myself puts me in agreement with the enemy and against the truth of Your cleansing power and forgiveness. My sins have been covered by Your blood. Specifically, I confess that:

Jesus, today I choose to focus my mind on these promises in your Word and what I know to be true of You:

Engage in these 3 Conversations with A Trusted Friend / Mentor / Pastor

Conversation One

Examine where your shame originates. Ask them to pray with you to invite the Holy Spirit to reveal the glue that caused this label to fasten itself over your heart and mind. Most likely shame began to take root in your life through one of four ways:

Something that happened to you that generated shame in the moment
You come from a home where others’ behaviors or your own resulted in judgment or criticism from others
You previously chose a rebellious lifestyle and you wrestle with feelings of unworthiness
You had people place demeaning labels on you that you fear might be true (dirty, unworthy, screw up, loser, an embarrassment)

Conversation Two

Confess shame as it actually is: a sin against God. Shame elevates a thought or emotion over and above God’s promise and power to redeem you. Our shame grieves God and goes against His commands. Shame agrees with the lies of the enemy. He whispers that God’s love and salvation toward you are not real. We must confess it and ask for His power to become released from it.

Conversation Three

Actively silence shame by intentionally pursuing spiritual disciplines to renew your mind from lies to truth. (More on that below!)

Those who feel counted out, cast aside and disregarded– those are people ready for revival. God longs to bring hope and healing to broken hearts. He wants us to discern His voice, experience His peace and live in His joy. While our enemy whispers lies of rejection, God invites us to come close and experience revival through a renewed relationship with Him.

From An Unexpected Revival: Experiencing God’s Goodness Through Disappointment and Doubt by Erica Wiggenhorn

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THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO LEVEL UP RIGHT NOW

An Unexpected Revival sparks a fire in our longing hearts to feel renewed excitement in our relationship with God. Instead of going through the motions, checking the boxes, and wondering why God feels so far away, Ezekiel shows us how to come close and invite God to fill us with fresh fire, burning away the scorching lies of the enemy and filling us with new life. God offers an invitation to a radiant life. Will you take it?

P.S. Expect to see me in your inbox, weekly, with insights and support to help you continue to apply the beautiful, ancient and sacred Word to speak into your modern day life! Your personal prayer should arrive soon!