One of the things that the Lord showed me while facilitating A Hand Up Depression Support Group is that each member has a source of shame, a lie we bought from the father of lies which we wear around like a scarlet letter. It doesn’t matter who delivered the lie, whether it be friend, foe or family, it stays ever before us like a headline in the newspaper and we return to re-read it often. The saddest thing about it, is that we, for whatever reason, have chosen to believe in that lie.

While listening to one of the members share one day, the Lord showed me that even though each one of us are born-again believers in Christ, we were still wearing around those old filthy rags which we wore before we came to Christ. For whatever reason, we had not come to the full realization that we were new creatures in Christ, old things had passed away, all things had become new. (2Corrinthians 5:17 ) And so, unknowingly, we were presenting ourselves before our King in those old filthy rags instead of Robes of Righteousness for which He had had paid so dear a price. It was then that the Lord laid upon my heart what to do to help this dear sister in Christ remove the filthy rags that she was wearing and exchange them for her Robes of Righteousness.

Through Christ. I explained to her that each time she chose to re-visit that old lie that the father of lies had imparted upon her, we were denying the reality of Christ on the Cross. Each time we revisited the source of our shame, we chose to believe the lie and dishonor the very Name of Christ. Through Christ, I asked her if she was sick enough of wearing filthy rags to exchange them for the newness of Christ that we all had been given because of Christ’s death on the cross. She said she was darn sick and tired of it and didn’t want to live like that anymore.

Through Christ, I asked this dear sister to go home, get herself an old T-shirt, one that she didn’t care anything about anymore and write the source of her shame on the front of the shirt and on the back of it, write every symptom ( i.e. guilt, condemnation, shame, etc.) that the source of that shame had caused. She was asked to do it in felt tip pen so that it could not come off, be washed away, etc. Then, when she finished that, she was asked to bring the shirt to the next meeting. But that was not to be the end of it. For whatever reason, (God’s reasons) it took several meetings after that, talking about the sources of our shame and using from the fourth step of Brian Judd’s “The Journey”, the affirmations of what we were in Christ. He had taken these excerpts from Neil Anderson’s book “The Bondage Breaker” which are included in the text of “The Journey”.

For many of the members of our group, some of these affirmations were new thoughts for us. One that the Lord gave me to use with this woman was “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because thought Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of Life set me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2.) The ironic part was that this woman had not sinned but had bought a lie that a family member had said to her, bringing condemnation into her life and driving her into the pits of despair. Through Christ, I was able to assure her that she was free from any condemning charges brought against her. “What then, shall we say in response to this. If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things. Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. (Romans 8:31-34.

After spending about 4 weeks on the fourth step of “The Journey” , God again showed me what else He wanted me to do. I went to the Goodwill Store and bought a white shirt, it was a new white shirt, one that had never been worn. Then I went to one of the local discount stores and bought fabric paint , red, gold glitter and black. This was to be a Robe of Righteousness. I took it to our next meeting.

We spent our last meeting on the fourth step of “The Journey”. I gave the group member the new shirt and the fabric paint and explained to her as God had told me, that this was to be her new clothes, her Robe of Righteousness. The only thing that she was required to put on the shirt was a red heart with the words “God loves me” surrounding it. Whenever she felt those old negative thoughts coming against her she was to put on this new Robe of Righteousness and wear it to remind herself that the lie was no longer valid and that she was a new creature in Christ. Then, she could write any of the affirmations that God had given her on the shirt and wrap herself in it like a blanket from God.

When the meeting ended, we took the old dirty clothes outside, placed them in a metal pan, doused them with lighter fluid and set them on fire. We watched until there was nothing left of the source of her shame was nothing but ashes. God had me remind her that these old clothes were gone forever, and He would never remember them again. He does the same thing with our sins when we repent. He buries them in the depth of the sea and once he forgives us, the only thing left to do is forgive ourselves.

We prayed as we burned the old clothes, prayed for the Lord to forgive us for choosing to wear those old clothes when he had given us the white Robes of Righteousness to wear, for not walking in the newness of life, for not taking to heart the sacrifice He made on the cross and for believing a lie from the enemy. It was an emotional time and act for all of us as we stood around the fire.

Today, we are more aware of the source of our shame and from whence it comes. We are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:37) Some of us are ready to remove our old clothes and walk in His righteousness. And, some of us are not. But wherever we are in our walk with Christ, wherever we are in the process of our healing, we know that God stands with us, sending his Holy Spirit to comfort us and bringing home the reality of what His Son has done for us on the cross. For that, and every other good thing, we praise Him.