Shame and Identity, Part 9: How Do We Use Our Identity To Combat Unhealthy Drivenness
Shame often manifests itself through either unhealthy drivenness or despondency. Today, we’ll look at unhealthy drivenness, and tomorrow, we’ll look at despondency.
In Scripture, we see that God Himself rested after He worked to create our world (Genesis 2:1-3). But as fallen humans, we can work obsessively without rest to fend off shame and prove our worthiness.
Let’s say you are struggling because you cover your shame by being driven and achieving things. You always feel pressure to go for what’s “next”; your mind is always busy; you push your body past its limits.
To overcome this unhealthy drive (and the shame beneath it), you can ground yourself in your true identity. As we saw in the past two days, you can ask yourself questions to chew on a truth.
For example, ask yourself, “What would my life look like if I weren’t so driven to prove myself?”
You might answer in prayer form. “I would probably still work hard, but for the right reasons. I would want to please You, God, and not cover my shame. I would ensure I had margin since you made us need rest as You, Yourself, rested. I would develop deeper friendships and let myself be known to others. I would spend more time with You. I would probably also feel freer, more satisfied, and more joyful. I could encourage others to eliminate shame from their lives too.”
Now, get practical with what you answered. You might want to block off time on your calendar to create margin, develop other interests, invest in friendships, and spend more time with God. You can also get accountability from those closest to you to ensure you stay on track.
To read more on what Scripture says about this, see 1 John 3:4, Isaiah 61:7, and Ecclesiastes 4:12.
Prayer: Father, if You truly love me as much as You love Christ, there is nothing left for me to prove, and I should not hide. When I mess up, am embarrassed, or fail in some way, I can just learn from my experiences instead of beating myself up about them. Father, please show me the early warning signs that I want to cover shame with drivenness. When those early signs come, please teach me to chew on your love for me so that shame dissipates and I enjoy my identity in You.
Chew On This:
What helps you focus on Him more than your shame or drivenness?
To continue to part 10 of our Shame and Identity series, click here. To go back to part 8, click here.