Shame is different from guilt. Guilt says, "I did something wrong." Shame says, "Something is wrong with me." Shame can come from our own choices, but it can also come from painful things done to us or spoken over us. In Luke 8, a woman who had been sick and isolated for twelve years reached out to touch Jesus. Instead of rejecting her, Jesus healed her, called her "Daughter," and sent her away in peace. Jesus came to free us from shame and remind us that we are not defined by our past, our pain, or what others have said. We are defined by what Jesus says.
