IF I AM GUILTY—WOE TO ME! EVEN IF I AM INNOCENT, I CANNOT LIFT MY HEAD, FOR I AM FULL OF SHAME AND DROWNED IN MY AFFLICTION
(Job 10:15).

For the biggest part of my life, I lived in shame.  I was ashamed, because I had an OLD MAN living in me—a corrupted being who was shaped by the lies of the father-of-lies.  I could not lift my head, for I was drowned in affliction, filled with beliefs of abandonment, condemnation, rejection, and shame that were instilled in me by the father-of-lies.  Being in constant despair and distress, I reacted to this OLD MAN by trying to make myself good, by trying to fake a being who was acceptable, and by striving to become someone of worth and value.  I desperately wanted to get rid of my shame, but in order to do that, I had to get rid of the OLD MAN, the source of my affliction, first.

YOU ARE ALREADY CLEAN BECAUSE OF THE WORD I HAVE SPOKEN TO YOU
(John 15:3).

Then, one day, I heard the life-changing words of the Lord Jesus: “CHILD, YOU ARE ALREADY CLEAN BECAUSE OF THE WORD I HAVE SPOKEN TO YOU.  I, the Son of God, your Savior, have done something that you yourself are not capable of doing.  I have spoken you clean of the OLD MAN, the source of your affliction.  You do not have to strive to become good anymore.  You do not have to pretend to be someone else in order to be acceptable.  You do not have to work to become worthy.  I have done it all for you on the cross. Accept it. Believe it. Receive it.”

I did!

 KNOWING THIS, THAT OUR OLD MAN IS CRUCIFIED WITH HIM, THAT THE BODY OF SIN MIGHT BE DESTROYED, THAT HENCEFORTH WE SHOULD NOT SERVE SIN
(Romans 6:6).

Have you ever wondered why you feel rejected, abandoned, condemned, and ashamed? Do you understand the source of your affliction?

Realize that you do not have to strive to be worthy.  You do not have to fight for your heart to make it good.  You do not have to be fake in order to be acceptable. You just have to get rid of the OLD MAN in you, the source of your affliction. And the Lord Jesus is present to do that for you…as soon as you let Him. Simply hand your OLD MAN—the source of your abandonment, condemnation, rejection, and shame—to the Lord Jesus.  He will nail it to the cross.  Without your source of affliction, you will be able to lift your head.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, in faith, I surrender my OLD MAN to You, so You may set me free from the source of my affliction.