Shame: Being Known and Loved

by Esther Liu

Overview

Many of us experience shame on a regular basis. We compare ourselves to others and feel deficient. We look at our pasts and hope no one will find out what we’ve done—or what was done to us. We doubt and isolate ourselves in light of previous rejection or failure. Our shame is unpleasant, even paralyzing. But there is hope for shame-filled souls! Our Savior willingly sacrificed everything—even died—so that shame would not have the final say in your life. Now he empowers you to change. Writing both as a biblical counselor and fellow struggler, Esther Liu takes us on a thirty-one day journey to discover lasting comfort. Explore the depths of God’s grace for you; respond to Christ’s invitation to rest; and use practical action points, reflection questions, and devotional insights to reshape your instinctive responses to God, others, and yourself.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781629950020
Publisher:	Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing
Publication date:	10/05/2022
Pages:	96
Sales rank:	637,879
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Esther Liu is a counselor and faculty member at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF).

Table of Contents

How to Nourish Your Soul 7

Introduction 9

Our Shame

Day 1 Beginning with the End 15

Day 2 What Is Your Story? 17

Day 3 "I Must Hide" 19

Day 4 "There's Something Wrong with Me" 21

Day 5 "I'll Try Harder" 23

Day 6 A Glimpse of a Better Way 25

God and Our Shame

Day 7 He Sees the Unseen 29

Day 8 He Doesn't Give Up on Sinners 31

Day 9 He Has Compassion for Dust 33

Day 10 He Is with You… Even There 35

Day 11 He Will Never Forget You 37

Day 12 He Turns Worldly Standards Upside Down 39

Day 13 He Really Knows Us 41

Day 14 He Chooses the Unchosen 43

Day 15 He Walked the Path of Shame Himself 45

Day 16 He Experienced Shame on the Cross 47

Day 17 He Experienced Shame-for Us 49

What Now?

Day 18 Accept Christ's Invitation to Rest 53

Day 19 Turn to Jesus When You Feel Rejected 55

Day 20 Come Home to Your Loving Father 57

Day 21 Choose God at the Fork 59

Day 22 Build Your House on the Rock 61

Day 23 Serve Others 63

Day 24 Love with an Ordinary Love 65

Day 25 Be Honest about Your Brokenness 67

Day 26 Comfort Others with the Comfort You've Received 69

Day 27 Look for Grace amidst Thorns 71

Day 28 Depend on Others 73

Day 29 Place Your Hope in Jesus 75

Day 30 Persevere in Confidence 77

Day 31 Enjoy Glimpses of Redemption 79

Conclusion 81

Acknowledgments 85

Notes 87

Suggested Resources for the Journey 89

Editorial Reviews

Esther Liu captures with pinpoint precision the pervasive voice of shame and the perfect Christ who absolves and restores us from the verdicts we often place on ourselves and have placed on us by others. Esther declares with empathy and authority that the voice of shame is overcome by the grace and love of Christ. The daily readings articulate perfectly what many pilgrims have been thinking but have been afraid to say aloud. This beautiful, unveiling devotional vividly shows the power of confronting wounds as it exhorts us toward the healing that awaits us in Christ.

Peter Ong

Do you ever feel “less-than” in some way? Not enough? Are there parts of your life that you keep hidden from others because of what might happen if they really knew you? Do you find yourself on a treadmill of performance, trying to compensate for your weaknesses? If so, you’ve come to the right place! In this honest and beautifully written book, Esther Liu serves as a trustworthy and humble guide for fellow strugglers who yearn for freedom from the shackles of shame. With care and compassion, she walks the reader through a deeper understanding of the multifaceted experience of shame and points repeatedly to its glorious reversal in our lives through our shame-bearing Savior, Jesus Christ.

Michael R. Emlet

Esther Liu gently helps us to push into the dark and hard spaces of our lives in order to bring us closer to our Savior. If you or someone you love struggles with shame, you will be helped and equipped by the tender truths of Scripture that Esther has compiled. This book has already ministered to my soul, and I’m eager to see how her work will be used to help others to know the love and nearness of Christ.

Jonathan D. Holmes

Esther Liu tenderly holds out God’s heart for shame-filled people who are unsure if his love extends to them. Shame is filled with inviting passages, practical reflections, and precious stories of Esther’s struggle with shame. If you wrestle with shame, you will feel known and cared for by Esther as she invites you into the hope that Jesus will meet and help you amid your struggle.

Darby A. Strickland

You may enter this devotional with a sense that you are worthless—and who doesn’t feel that way?—or it may be more pointed: “You are disgusting.” Either way, open this book and read the first two days. You will, like me, keep reading.

Edward T. Welch

You can enter this devotional with a sense that you are worthless—and who doesn’t feel that way?—or it can be more pointed, “you are disgusting.” Either way, open this and read the first two days. You will, like me, keep reading. 

Ed Welch