Pride and Shame - Day 2 of 5; SHAME

Elevate Your Day with Andi and Brian Hale

from Pride and Shame on Youversion

“You should be ashamed of yourself!”

Ever heard those words before? From a teacher, a parent . . . or perhaps even yourself? Shame (and its close cousin guilt) is one of the most effective tools for emotional manipulation, and while it can have an outwardly positive effect on our behavior (at least in the short run), more often it simply reinforces the negative thought patterns that motivated us to do wrong in the first place. Shame in our minds and in our hearts can make us feel bad for what we’ve done, but it’s powerless to ensure we’ll do right the next time. In reality, it churns us more than it turns us.

And that’s the enemy’s strategy.