Does shame have any value in the Christian life?
Author Jasmine Holmes addresses this question in her new book Never Cast Out. She joined CT for a recent interview about her relationship with shame, including the deep struggle she experienced while writing the book.
“It was weird to write about shame during a shame-filled season of life,” Holmes told CT. “As I was writing this book, I was in the depths of despair, first because I was pregnant and then because of postpartum depression and the balancing act of raising three kids. Shame was knocking on my door every day.”
Holmes shares that she has a depression diagnosis, which compounds her shame into something chronic and repetitive. But she remains convinced that she, and others who struggle with shame, can find freedom in Jesus. Whether the shame we experience is the result of sin or just our human limits, Holmes says the remedy is the same—running to Jesus.
“Sometimes we need forgiveness, but sometimes we just need security because we’re weak and frail and groaning, like all of creation, for the return of Christ,” Holmes writes.
When shame threatens to overwhelm us, may we remember that Jesus offers us the unconditional love we struggle to show ourselves. In him, we can address and release our shame.
