Latest / Your Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast / How to Break Free from Shame and Embrace Who God Says You Are

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How to Break Free from Shame and Embrace Who God Says You Are · Your Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast

• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Life audio.
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  Speaker 2: Shame is one of the most powerful and painful emotions
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  Speaker 2: we experience. Often lead us feeling unworthy, unseen, and disconnected
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  Speaker 2: both from God and from others. But what if both
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  Speaker 2: neuroscience and scripture revealed a pathway out of shame and
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  Speaker 2: into healing. In this Hope Filled episode of Your Hope
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  Speaker 2: Field Perspective, I'm joined by co host Reverend Jessica Venrokel
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  Speaker 2: to unpack how shame affects the brain, body and spirit,
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  Speaker 2: and how God's truth can rewire our thinking, renew our identity,
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  Speaker 2: and restore our relationships. If you have ever wrestled with
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  Speaker 2: feelings of not being enough, this conversation will offer both
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  Speaker 2: the science and biblical encouragement you need to break free
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  Speaker 2: from shame and embrace who God says you are. We'll
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  Speaker 2: dive into this right after a brief word from our sponsor.
• 1:06
  Speaker 3: Welcome to your Hope Filled Perspective with doctor Michelle Benkson,
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  Speaker 3: where our goal is to restore hope, renew minds, and
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  Speaker 3: empower listeners to live in their God given identity. Today,
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  Speaker 3: I'm your host, Jessica Venrokol. Today is a very special
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  Speaker 3: episode because I get to interview my co host and
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  Speaker 3: dear friend Doctor Michelle Bankdon. Michelle is a Board certified
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  Speaker 3: clinical neuropsychologist and international speaker, and the award winning author
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  Speaker 3: of several books that combine.
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  Speaker 1: Faith and psychology.
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  Speaker 3: She has spent decades helping people find healing from depression, anxiety,
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  Speaker 3: and the hidden struggles of the mind. Shame is a
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  Speaker 3: heavy burden that whispers lies about our worth and keeps
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  Speaker 3: us stuck in cycles of fear, hiding, and disconnection. Yet
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  Speaker 3: both science and scripture point us toward freedom. In this
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  Speaker 3: episodeisode of Your Hope Filled Perspective, we are going to
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  Speaker 3: use her background as a clinical neuropsychologist to explore the
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  Speaker 3: surprising ways shame impacts the brain, body, and soul, and
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  Speaker 3: the practical hope filled steps that.
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  Speaker 1: Lead to healing.
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  Speaker 3: Together, we will uncover how God's truth can rewire negative
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  Speaker 3: thought patterns, renew your sense of identity, and restore your
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  Speaker 3: relationship with Him and others. If you long to silence
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  Speaker 3: shame and walk in freedom, Christ offers, then this conversation
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  Speaker 3: is for you.
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  Speaker 1: Michelle. Welcome to your own podcast.
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  Speaker 2: Thanks Jessica. It feels a little strange being on this
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  Speaker 2: side of the microphone, but I'm really excited about this
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  Speaker 2: conversation because shame is something I've not only studied professionally,
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  Speaker 2: but I've wrestled with it personally. And I really believe
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  Speaker 2: that this conversation will give both listeners and viewers both
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  Speaker 2: the science and the biblical hope that they need. So
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  Speaker 2: I can't wait to dive in and see what science
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  Speaker 2: and faith have to say about shame. But I want
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  Speaker 2: to share a scripture that I think will start off
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  Speaker 2: this episode by encouraging our listeners, and that comes from
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  Speaker 2: Psalm thirty four, verse five that says those who look
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  Speaker 2: to Him are radiant, their faces are never covered with shame.
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  Speaker 3: Michelle, that is a fantastic scripture to open up our
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  Speaker 3: discussion on this. But let's start with the basics. Now
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  Speaker 3: you've studied the brain for years. What does neuroscience tell
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  Speaker 3: us about how emotions like shame affect us.
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  Speaker 2: That's a really good starting question. Our brain is constantly
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  Speaker 2: scanning for threat. That's the way God created us. He
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  Speaker 2: created us to be able to react quickly in a
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  Speaker 2: state of emergency. But when we feel shame, the brain
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  Speaker 2: actually processes it as a social threat. Now there's a
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  Speaker 2: part of the brain, it's called the amychdila and that's
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  Speaker 2: like the brain's alarm system and that lights up. So
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  Speaker 2: that is what triggers the fight flight or freeze response
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  Speaker 2: that so many of us have heard about. But instead
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  Speaker 2: of say running from a bear, we feel like we
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  Speaker 2: need to run from people or hide from God when
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  Speaker 2: we're wrestling with shame. The other part is that shame
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  Speaker 2: also dampens the activity in what's called our prefrontal cortex.
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  Speaker 2: That's the part of the brain that helps us think
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  Speaker 2: rationally and it helps us problem solve. So when shame
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  Speaker 2: is triggered, we don't just feel bad. We literally lose
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  Speaker 2: access to our ability to think clearly, and that's why
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  Speaker 2: people spiral, ruminate and get stuck. Now, just the fascinating
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  Speaker 2: part is this neuroscience shows that shame isn't just an emotion.
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  Speaker 2: It affects our nervous system, our relationships, and even our
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  Speaker 2: physical health.
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  Speaker 3: Wow, I'm sitting here was like I've wish. I feel
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  Speaker 3: like my jaws dropped to the bottom of my desk
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  Speaker 3: and I just have to pick it up because not
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  Speaker 3: only is it fascinating, but it's really a little sobering.
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  Speaker 3: We often hear guilt and shame like youse like they're
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  Speaker 3: the exact same thing, Like they're interchangeable. But they're really different, right.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, they're very different. Guilt says I did something wrong.
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  Speaker 2: Shame says I am something wrong.
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  Speaker 1: Wow.
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  Speaker 2: Guilt is actually helpful when it leads us to repentance
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  Speaker 2: and change. But an important distinction needs to be made.
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  Speaker 2: When Jesus died, he sent the Holy Spirit to remind
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  Speaker 2: us of all truth and to be our comforter. The
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  Speaker 2: Holy Spirit will convict us of our sin in order
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  Speaker 2: to bring us back into a right relationship with God.
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  Speaker 2: So his conviction is based in love. Scripture says in
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  Speaker 2: Romans eight to one. There is therefore now no condemnation,
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  Speaker 2: or we could say no shame for those who are
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  Speaker 2: in Christ Jesus. But shame, it goes deeper. It attacks
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  Speaker 2: our identity. Instead of saying I made a mistake, shame
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  Speaker 2: says I am a mistake. Now. From a brain perspective,
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  Speaker 2: guilt tends to activate the problem solving areas of our brain.
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  Speaker 2: Our brain looks for a way to fix or make
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  Speaker 2: amends to what went wrong, what we did wrong. Shame,
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  Speaker 2: on the other hand, activates the parts of the brain
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  Speaker 2: that are tied to rejection and fear, so it shuts
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  Speaker 2: us down. Then we tend to hide and we disconnect. Now,
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  Speaker 2: if we take it one step further spiritually, that is
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  Speaker 2: exactly what the enemy wants. He wants us id believing
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  Speaker 2: lies about who we are instead of embracing who God
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  Speaker 2: says we are.
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  Speaker 1: Wow.
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  Speaker 3: So what you're really saying is shame is like the
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  Speaker 3: enemy's counterfeit. It feels powerful, but it's actually destructive exactly.
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  Speaker 2: Shame is the enemy's weapon to distort our identity and
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  Speaker 2: keep us from God's love and community. You know, the
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  Speaker 2: enemy in scripture is referred to as the father of lies. Yeah,
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  Speaker 2: but he usually whispers to us with just enough truth
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  Speaker 2: so that we believe or agree with what he says.
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  Speaker 2: But as you said, it's always a counterfeit. There's always
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  Speaker 2: some part of his whispering that is a lie.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah. Wow, so insightful. Thank you. Friends.
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  Speaker 3: We are going to take a break for a brief
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  Speaker 3: word from our sponsor, but stick with us to hear
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  Speaker 3: more about how to break free from shame.
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  Speaker 1: Welcome back to your hope filled perspective.
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  Speaker 3: Today we are talking about how to break free from shame.
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  Speaker 3: So let's bring faith into this Shame isn't just a
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  Speaker 3: modern health concept, right.
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  Speaker 1: It shows up in the Bible.
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  Speaker 2: It does. The very first time that shame is mentioned
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  Speaker 2: is in the first book of the Bible, Genesis, before
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  Speaker 2: sin entered the world. We know that Adam and Eve,
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  Speaker 2: the first two beings that God created, they were naked,
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  Speaker 2: and scripture actually tells us they felt no shame. Wow.
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  Speaker 2: But once they disobeyed God, that's when shame came rushing in.
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  Speaker 2: They hid, they covered themselves, and just that's the very
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  Speaker 2: essence of shame, hiding and covering well because we feel exposed. Yeah,
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  Speaker 2: but notice what God did. If we go back to
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  Speaker 2: that scriptural account in Genesis, it tells us that God
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  Speaker 2: came looking for them, then he clothed them. And I
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  Speaker 2: really think that is a picture of God's heart. He
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  Speaker 2: moves towards us in our shame when the enemy tempts
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  Speaker 2: us to move away from God and others. Right, I
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  Speaker 2: really think that the ultimate expression of this is the cross.
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  Speaker 2: Hebers twelve two tells us that Jesus endured the cross,
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  Speaker 2: scorning its shame. So not only did Jesus bear our sin,
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  Speaker 2: but also our shame. So, friends, when shame whispers you're
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  Speaker 2: not enough. The Cross declares you are covered, you are loved,
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  Speaker 2: You are free, not because of anything you did, but
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  Speaker 2: because of what Jesus did for us on the Cross.
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  Speaker 2: And what's so beautiful, Jessica, is that neuroscience confirmed what
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  Speaker 2: scripture has already said. Connection heals shame. So when we
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  Speaker 2: bring our struggles into the light with God and with
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  Speaker 2: safe people, the brain literally calms down. New neuropathways are
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  Speaker 2: formed in our brain, and healing happens.
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  Speaker 1: Oh, Michelle, this is so hopeful.
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  Speaker 3: It reminds me that shame doesn't have to have the
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  Speaker 3: last word. It doesn't have to control my present and
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  Speaker 3: future decisions.
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  Speaker 2: Oh that's exactly right, because just Jesus already had the
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  Speaker 2: last word.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, But I guess.
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  Speaker 2: This makes me think about the listener or viewer who
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  Speaker 2: feels unseen, because shame often presents when we feel unseen.
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  Speaker 2: So just I'd be curious about your thoughts about that.
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  Speaker 1: Well.
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  Speaker 3: I have felt that I have felt like when I
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  Speaker 3: am unseen there must be something inherently wrong with me.
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  Speaker 3: And I have been recovery people pleasing person and so
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  Speaker 3: often I would look to other people to affirm my identity,
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  Speaker 3: to affirm me if I was enough. And an example
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  Speaker 3: of this is when I joined an existing group. You know,
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  Speaker 3: it's a group that's been established since the seventies, and
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  Speaker 3: I was the newcomer into it, and you know how
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  Speaker 3: it is trying to make inroads into relationships that have
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  Speaker 3: already formed in a group. And I'm a connector by nature.
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  Speaker 3: I love people. I can talk to anybody. But there
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  Speaker 3: are some situations, especially when it's a tightly knit group,
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  Speaker 3: that I'm trying to just find a little opening, find
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  Speaker 3: connection with people, and I fail and I walk away
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  Speaker 3: from that going well, I'm terrible at this.
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  Speaker 1: I thought I was good at this.
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  Speaker 3: They didn't even recognize me, they didn't even see me.
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  Speaker 3: They just ignored any attempt that I made. And what
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  Speaker 3: is wrong with me? I thought I was good with relationships.
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  Speaker 3: So that is an area that I think is common
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  Speaker 3: for many of us. We live in a society that
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  Speaker 3: we have these groups that are already formed and we
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  Speaker 3: want to belong. That is an innate nature within us.
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  Speaker 3: But when I start looking to other people to satisfy
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  Speaker 3: that need to tell me that I'm enough and that
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  Speaker 3: I'm seen, boy, that just leads me down that shame
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  Speaker 3: path and then I don't want to try it all.
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  Speaker 2: I had something similar happened, but it wasn't with a
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  Speaker 2: group that was already formed. I was in a situation
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  Speaker 2: recently at an event, and two separate times within a day,
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  Speaker 2: I was involved in conversation one on one with somebody.
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  Speaker 2: It was at both times they were good conversations, and
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  Speaker 2: someone else walked up and started talking to the person
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  Speaker 2: that I had been engaged in conversation with and just
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  Speaker 2: completely ignored my presence, didn't turn to me, didn't talk
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  Speaker 2: to me. Even when I tried to engage in that conversation,
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  Speaker 2: I was met as if I was being dismissed, and
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  Speaker 2: without recognizing it in the moment, Jessica, I walked away
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  Speaker 2: feeling ashamed, feeling like there was something wrong with me. Now,
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  Speaker 2: I have to say, these two people didn't know me,
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  Speaker 2: so they didn't know enough about me to know if
• 13:16
  Speaker 2: there was something wrong with me. But that was the
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  Speaker 2: message I heard in my head. It was unimportant, there
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  Speaker 2: was something wrong with me, and it led to significant shame.
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  Speaker 2: So I think what both of our experiences show is
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  Speaker 2: that we need to be on guard for the lies
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  Speaker 2: from the enemy when we're in the presence of the others.
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  Speaker 2: But to your point, we need to be very careful
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  Speaker 2: about looking to other valuable people to try to establish
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  Speaker 2: our worth.
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  Speaker 3: Oh that is so good, Michelle, Thank you for sharing.
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  Speaker 1: Friends.
• 13:54
  Speaker 3: We are going to take a short break for a
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  Speaker 3: brief word from our sponsor, but stick with us to
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  Speaker 3: hear a hope filled perspective regarding how to break free
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  Speaker 3: from shame.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, it is time to get practical.
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  Speaker 3: For the person listening right now carrying shame from mistakes, abuse,
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  Speaker 3: or failure, what can.
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  Speaker 1: They do to begin healing.
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  Speaker 2: This may be the most important part of this episode.
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  Speaker 2: I agree, because it's one thing to be able to
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  Speaker 2: recognize shame.
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  Speaker 1: Mm hmm.
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  Speaker 2: But I think so often we don't know what to
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  Speaker 2: do about it. So here are a few steps that
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  Speaker 2: combine neuroscience with faith. The first thing I would recommend
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  Speaker 2: is name it. Awareness is very powerful. When you say
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  Speaker 2: this is shame that I'm feeling, it actually quiets the amygdala,
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  Speaker 2: that part of the brain we talked about that's responsible
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  Speaker 2: for fight, flight or freeze. So naming our emotions brings
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  Speaker 2: our rational brain back online. So name it number two,
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  Speaker 2: replace the lies with truth. Shame says I'm unworthy, but
• 15:09
  Speaker 2: God says, I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Write that down, friends,
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  Speaker 2: Psalm one thirty nine, Verse fourteen. God declared you are
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  Speaker 2: fearfully and wonderfully made. And I have found that writing
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  Speaker 2: down scriptures and declaring them rewires the brain over time
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  Speaker 2: because we're interrupting an old, faulty message.
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  Speaker 1: It's good.
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  Speaker 2: So the first tip was name it. Second tip was
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  Speaker 2: replaced the lives with truth. Third, practice self compassion. It's
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  Speaker 2: easier sometimes, I think jess to display compassion to another. Yes,
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  Speaker 2: but shame thrives on harsh criticism. So treat yourself as
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  Speaker 2: you would treat a dear friend. This isn't just fluffy.
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  Speaker 2: It actually changes our brain chemistry when we can invoke
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  Speaker 2: some compassion towards ourselves.
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  Speaker 1: So good.
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  Speaker 2: So number one, name it, number two, replace the lies
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  Speaker 2: with truth number three, practice self compassion. Number four. Seek
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  Speaker 2: safe connection. As we were talking about Jessica, shame isolates,
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  Speaker 2: it does, but healing comes in community. Vulnerability with safe
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  Speaker 2: people breaks shame's power. Now I say safe people because
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  Speaker 2: we're not called to be vulnerable with everyone, right and
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  Speaker 2: not everyone will hold our confidences confidential. You know, we've
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  Speaker 2: both been part of the church. Where sometimes when we
• 16:42
  Speaker 2: share confidential things they become an open prayer request or
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  Speaker 2: gossip line. Yes, so I'm talking about being vulnerable with
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  Speaker 2: safe people. And then the fifth tip is engage in
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  Speaker 2: praise and worship because science has shown that prayer, gratitude,
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  Speaker 2: and worship calm the nervous system. So spiritually, they also
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  Speaker 2: align us with God's truth, and they remind us of
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  Speaker 2: God's presence and what He's done for us.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, I love how each of these steps
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  Speaker 3: addresses both the brain and the heart. And as you
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  Speaker 3: were talking about the amygdala and I thought, wow, it's
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  Speaker 3: like we can't control when that light switch gets turned on,
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  Speaker 3: you know how you said it lights up. Yes, but
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  Speaker 3: it seems like we have the choice to flip that
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  Speaker 3: light switch off. Through these steps we do so I
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  Speaker 3: feel so free now too. I don't have to be
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  Speaker 3: bossed around by shame. When I'm feeling like I am
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  Speaker 3: a mistake or I am not enough, I can just
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  Speaker 3: go ahead and say no, I'm gonna shut that off.
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  Speaker 3: Yes I feel it, but I'm gonna believe the truth.
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  Speaker 3: I'm gonna practice self compassion. I feel like you've given
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  Speaker 3: us really excellent tools to how to break free from shame.
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  Speaker 1: So thank you.
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  Speaker 3: So Michelle, You've walked alongside countless people in their healing journey,
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  Speaker 3: but you've also lived this yourself.
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  Speaker 1: Would you share a time you wrestled with shame?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, one particular season comes to mind, when I was
• 18:19
  Speaker 2: really struggling with health issues that forced me to step
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  Speaker 2: back from work. When that happened, I mean I loved
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  Speaker 2: seeing patients and helping them and seeing positive change happened
• 18:32
  Speaker 2: in their life. But when I was struggling and had
• 18:34
  Speaker 2: to step back from that, for a time, I felt
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  Speaker 2: like I was a failure. I felt like I was
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  Speaker 2: failing my family, my patience, and even God, and shame whispered,
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  Speaker 2: You're not enough your week. If you're not the doctor,
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  Speaker 2: what good are you? But that season, Jessica taught me
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  Speaker 2: that I had been hiding behind busyness to somehow establish
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  Speaker 2: my worth, but inside I was drowning. And what really
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  Speaker 2: changed me was getting to the place where I was
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  Speaker 2: honest with God, when I would tell him about my
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  Speaker 2: fears and allow safe friends to see behind the mask. Yeah,
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  Speaker 2: as they reminded me of God's truth, I started to
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  Speaker 2: believe again, and slowly I began to replace the lie
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  Speaker 2: I am weak with the truth that when I am weak,
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  Speaker 2: God is strong. And by slowly uprooting those lies about
• 19:33
  Speaker 2: my identity, my character, my worth with God's truth, freedom came.
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  Speaker 1: Wow.
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  Speaker 2: So what about you, Jessica, have you ever struggled with same?
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  Speaker 1: I knew you were going to ask me that question.
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  Speaker 2: Bring it into the light, my friend.
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  Speaker 1: We're bringing it into the light.
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  Speaker 3: And as you know, Michelle, that I have struggled with rejection,
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  Speaker 3: fear of rejection, just being bossed around with it. And
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  Speaker 3: one of the places that I struggled the most was
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  Speaker 3: when I would walk into a room and I would
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  Speaker 3: believe I didn't belong.
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  Speaker 1: I would believe that I am.
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  Speaker 3: Invisible, I am a mistake, I don't deserve to take
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  Speaker 3: up space in this room, and it would inhibit my
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  Speaker 3: natural ability to connect with others and to make relationships
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  Speaker 3: happen or connect on a deeper level because I was
• 20:27
  Speaker 3: assuming that number one, they would never remember me. Like
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  Speaker 3: I cannot tell you how many times that I've had
• 20:33
  Speaker 3: to I felt like I needed to reintroduce myself to
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  Speaker 3: someone who I had like a two day conversation with
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  Speaker 3: at some conference last year, and and it's just this
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  Speaker 3: weird place to be, to know that I don't even
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  Speaker 3: think I am free to breathe, or think, or have
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  Speaker 3: an opinion or really even have the right to be
• 20:53
  Speaker 3: in this space that I just I just felt like
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  Speaker 3: I wore this scarlet R. I remember reading the Scarlet
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  Speaker 3: Letter back in high school for literature class and she
• 21:03
  Speaker 3: had to wear a scarlet S on her chest.
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  Speaker 1: I felt like, I.
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  Speaker 3: Wear a scarlet R and that everyone can see it
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  Speaker 3: and they're just going to automatically reject me before they
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  Speaker 3: even get to know me. And what really changed for
• 21:17
  Speaker 3: me was beginning to understand how much God delights in me.
• 21:24
  Speaker 3: I know he loves me, I know he's with me,
• 21:27
  Speaker 3: I know that Jesus cares so deeply for me. But
• 21:31
  Speaker 3: delight that was a different concept. When you delight in something,
• 21:35
  Speaker 3: it's like you get excited to be involved in it.
• 21:38
  Speaker 3: And the idea that God was excited about me, that
• 21:42
  Speaker 3: he doesn't forget me, that he calls me to this space,
• 21:45
  Speaker 3: He gave me breath. I have a right to breathe
• 21:48
  Speaker 3: the same air as everybody else. And finally, what changed
• 21:51
  Speaker 3: for me and I still do it to this day,
• 21:54
  Speaker 3: is I picture the standard of an army, the flag
• 22:00
  Speaker 3: when you go into have a victory. The ancient armies
• 22:04
  Speaker 3: would have their standards, meaning they'd have their big flags
• 22:06
  Speaker 3: on poles. Well, Jesus or the Lord is our banner.
• 22:10
  Speaker 3: That his banner over me is love. And I picture
• 22:13
  Speaker 3: myself walking around with that banner over me. And when
• 22:18
  Speaker 3: I am nervous, or when I'm starting to feel like, oh,
• 22:21
  Speaker 3: I don't deserve to be here, I am not enough,
• 22:24
  Speaker 3: I am already rejected, I picture that banner over me.
• 22:28
  Speaker 3: His banner over me is love, and I can walk
• 22:32
  Speaker 3: into this room and it doesn't matter if people like
• 22:35
  Speaker 3: me or see me, accept me, or reject me. God,
• 22:39
  Speaker 3: my God receives, accepts me, loves me, delights in me,
• 22:43
  Speaker 3: and it's his banner over me is love. And that
• 22:47
  Speaker 3: just gives me the courage to remember to walk in victory,
• 22:50
  Speaker 3: to remember that I don't need to fear other people's
• 22:55
  Speaker 3: assumptions possible rejections. I don't even need to reject myself
• 23:00
  Speaker 3: on behalf of someone else like I used to do.
• 23:03
  Speaker 3: That's a different story, but all of that entailed I
• 23:06
  Speaker 3: would feel so full of shame because there was I
• 23:09
  Speaker 3: felt there was I was inherently wrong. But God and
• 23:13
  Speaker 3: walking under his banner has shown me that I have
• 23:17
  Speaker 3: the right to this space. He's placed me here, He's
• 23:20
  Speaker 3: planted my feet, and I'm gonna walk in that confidence.
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: You talked about.
• 23:25
  Speaker 2: It was a little bit more difficult for you to
• 23:28
  Speaker 2: accept that God delighted in you. Yeah, and I think
• 23:32
  Speaker 2: that is the case for so many of us. But
• 23:36
  Speaker 2: that's when we have to stand on the truth. There's
• 23:39
  Speaker 2: a scripture. I think it's in Deuteronomy, but my memory
• 23:42
  Speaker 2: escapes me right now, but it says that God delights
• 23:45
  Speaker 2: over us with singing.
• 23:47
  Speaker 3: Yes, so it's Zephaniah three seventeen. He delights, He dances
• 23:53
  Speaker 3: over each of us. So, Michelle, if a listener or
• 23:57
  Speaker 3: viewer is resonating with our conversation, what hope filled perspective
• 24:01
  Speaker 3: would you give to the listener or viewer who feels
• 24:05
  Speaker 3: buried under shame?
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: Right now?
• 24:07
  Speaker 2: Friends, shame may be loud and at times even deafening,
• 24:13
  Speaker 2: but it is not your identity. Your mistakes, your past,
• 24:18
  Speaker 2: your wounds, your scars, they don't define you. God does. Yeah,
• 24:23
  Speaker 2: and he says you are chosen, beloved, forgiven, and free. Yeah.
• 24:30
  Speaker 2: Neuroscience says your brain can change. Scripture says your spirit
• 24:35
  Speaker 2: can be renewed. So no matter how long you've lived
• 24:39
  Speaker 2: under shame, it doesn't have to be your story. Freedom
• 24:42
  Speaker 2: is possible. And if you were struggling with shame, I
• 24:46
  Speaker 2: would just encourage you to pick up a copy of
• 24:48
  Speaker 2: my book Sacred Scars, resting in God's promise that your
• 24:53
  Speaker 2: past is not wasted because we take a deeper dive
• 24:56
  Speaker 2: into what is shame, where does it come from? And
• 24:59
  Speaker 2: how all can we break free from it? We'll put
• 25:02
  Speaker 2: the link to that in the show notes. But I
• 25:05
  Speaker 2: want to leave you with this scripture today, and that
• 25:08
  Speaker 2: is Isaiah fifty four, verse four. Do not be afraid.
• 25:12
  Speaker 2: You will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace,
• 25:17
  Speaker 2: You will not be humiliated. Jess, would you mind closing
• 25:22
  Speaker 2: out today's episode and praying for our listener or viewer
• 25:27
  Speaker 2: who's resonating and recognizes that, yeah, they've been dealing with
• 25:30
  Speaker 2: some shame.
• 25:31
  Speaker 3: Oh, I would be honored. Let's just go to the
• 25:33
  Speaker 3: Lord in prayer. Heavenly Fathers, thank you so much that
• 25:37
  Speaker 3: you have made a way for our hearts to be
• 25:40
  Speaker 3: made new, our minds to be renewed. Lord, you transform us.
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: Lord.
• 25:44
  Speaker 3: Shame is a destructive, powerful tool. And weapon of the enemy. Lord,
• 25:50
  Speaker 3: but you are the ultimate victory. You give us victory. So, Lord,
• 25:54
  Speaker 3: I ask that you would settle within the person who's
• 25:58
  Speaker 3: listening today, who feels like they are a mistake, where
• 26:01
  Speaker 3: they have confused their missteps in life and have absorbed
• 26:05
  Speaker 3: them as their identity. Lord, that you would remind them
• 26:08
  Speaker 3: that you love them with an everlasting love, that you
• 26:10
  Speaker 3: see them, that you come near to them, that you
• 26:13
  Speaker 3: delight in them. To delight means to bend toward, to
• 26:17
  Speaker 3: incline toward. Lord. I pray that they would receive your comfort. Lord,
• 26:21
  Speaker 3: that as you bend toward them, that they would bend
• 26:24
  Speaker 3: towards you, and in the doing, Lord, that they would
• 26:27
  Speaker 3: remember to show self compassion, to praise you, to worship you,
• 26:31
  Speaker 3: to name what they're feeling, to actually admit, Lord, I
• 26:35
  Speaker 3: feel like I am a mistake. So that Lord, you
• 26:38
  Speaker 3: can speak your truth to them. Lord, fill them with
• 26:41
  Speaker 3: your power, fill them with your love, fill them with
• 26:43
  Speaker 3: your joy, fill them with your victory. Lord, help them
• 26:46
  Speaker 3: to stand on the truth that they are fearfully and
• 26:50
  Speaker 3: wonderfully made, and that when they look to you, their
• 26:52
  Speaker 3: faces are radiant and not covered in shame, in Jesus name,
• 26:57
  Speaker 3: we pray.
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: Amen.
• 26:58
  Speaker 2: Amen, Thank you Jessica. Friends, I really hope that there
• 27:02
  Speaker 2: was something in today's episode that encouraged you and gave
• 27:07
  Speaker 2: you a hope filed perspective. If you know someone who
• 27:10
  Speaker 2: struggles with shame, would you consider sharing this episode with
• 27:14
  Speaker 2: them to give them a biblically based hope filed perspective.
• 27:17
  Speaker 2: I'm looking forward to being with you again next week,
• 27:20
  Speaker 2: but you know it's my prayer for you that until
• 27:23
  Speaker 2: then that you have a hope filled.
• 27:28
  Speaker 4: Your ragged and torn past may be the key to
• 27:32
  Speaker 4: God's future for you. We all endure trials, pain, and
• 27:37
  Speaker 4: hardship in this life. Too often we believe these experiences
• 27:43
  Speaker 4: disqualify us from being.
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: Useful to God.
• 27:47
  Speaker 4: But the truth is your past pain and brokenness serve
• 27:51
  Speaker 4: as preparation for what God wants to do in and
• 27:56
  Speaker 4: through you. If you will surrender to can trust Him
• 28:02
  Speaker 4: In Sacred scars. Neuropsychologist and fellow sufferer, doctor Michelle Thankson
• 28:08
  Speaker 4: helps you understand the suffering from a biblical perspective, discover
• 28:14
  Speaker 4: how the trials of your life serve a purpose, reflect
• 28:18
  Speaker 4: on the healing that God has accomplished, and comfort others
• 28:22
  Speaker 4: but the comfort God has given you. Just as Jesus's
• 28:26
  Speaker 4: scars didn't disappear after his resurrection and confirmed that he
• 28:32
  Speaker 4: was who he said he was and that he did
• 28:35
  Speaker 4: what he said he'd do, Our emotional or physical scars
• 28:40
  Speaker 4: tell our story and lend credence to our testimony of
• 28:44
  Speaker 4: God's love and power. If you are ready to turn
• 28:48
  Speaker 4: your past pain into present comfort and future hope, let
• 28:53
  Speaker 4: doctor Benkson be your compassionate guide. Jill Savage, host of
• 28:59
  Speaker 4: the No More Perfect podcast and author of No More
• 29:03
  Speaker 4: Perfect Marriages, have this to say about Sacred Scars. While
• 29:08
  Speaker 4: we wish for a pain free life, the dark seasons
• 29:11
  Speaker 4: are where God invites us into the most growth. In
• 29:15
  Speaker 4: the pages of this book, you will come to understand
• 29:18
  Speaker 4: how God uses pain in powerful ways. If you're human,
• 29:24
  Speaker 4: you need this book. Pick up a copy of Sacred
• 29:28
  Speaker 4: Scars wherever books are sold, and watch God turn your
• 29:32
  Speaker 4: pain into purpose.
• 29:37
  Speaker 5: Thank you for joining doctor Bankson for your hope build perspective.
• 29:41
  Speaker 5: We hope you are encouraged by her authenticity, vulnerability, and
• 29:45
  Speaker 5: biblical truths. If you enjoy today's conversation, When you take
• 29:49
  Speaker 5: a moment right now, open up your podcast app and
• 29:52
  Speaker 5: look for the subscribe button right next to our podcast
• 29:55
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• 29:59
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• 30:02
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• 30:05
  Speaker 5: If you have a comment, question, or suggest a topic
• 30:08
  Speaker 5: for a future show, reach out to our staff at
• 30:11
  Speaker 5: info at Hope Prevails dot org for additional resources. Information
• 30:15
  Speaker 5: about doctor Bankson's books where free downloads, or to contact
• 30:20
  Speaker 5: her to speak at your next event, Please visit doctor
• 30:23
  Speaker 5: Michelbe dot com. Until next time, May you have a
• 30:27
  Speaker 5: Hope billedweek.
• 30:31
  Speaker 2: I'd like to take just a second to thank the
• 30:34
  Speaker 2: team at Life Audio for their partnership with us on
• 30:37
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• 30:40
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• 30:43
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