Hate is a strong word, and my husband always cautions me against using it. Growing up, it was treated like a cuss word in his home, and his mother forbade its use. I understand her sentiment and recognize that she likely established that rule to deter her kids from complaining about broccoli or green beans. However, hate is the only word I have to describe how I felt when it was time to meet with a bookkeeper for the first time.

It’s not that I felt hatred towards the lady; she was lovely. I just despised the feeling of having someone step in to scrutinize how I was managing my finances. It made me feel exceptionally vulnerable, like I was naked on a billboard in Times Square.

But why?

God had blessed my real estate career, and even in a down market, I had made more than I ever dreamed as a teacher. I religiously tithe 10%, just as Mama taught me, and have made some good choices in terms of investments.

But I also made some not-so-good choices and honestly did not always run my business like a business. As the money came in, I spent what I wanted when I wanted. There was no one to guide me on the importance of financial literacy and responsibility. From the outside, I know that it looked like I had it all together, but on the inside, I carried a lot of shame about the way I stewarded my finances, and it was hard. I hated it.

And that’s what the enemy wants. He wants to take the things that God will use to grow us and use them against us. He wants to plant seeds of doubt and shame.

Those seeds were planted in me, and for too long, I did things backward. I refused to invite a financial professional to help me sort it out because of SHAME.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh. (Romans 8:1-3)

This verse clearly states that there is no condemnation for me because of my relationship with Christ. That also means that there is no condemnation for you either if you are in a relationship with Him.

Will we mess up, fail, and learn from our mistakes? ABSOLUTELY.

Do our mistakes disqualify us from being and living out who God called us to be? ABSOLUTELY NOT.

Time and time again in the Bible, people messed up, but God still used them greatly. He used David after he committed adultery, trusted Moses after he killed a man, and allowed the woman at the well to share the good news after being engulfed in sin.

The enemy wants to mute the very thing that God will use in you to bring others to Him.

And while sitting in front of the bookkeeper airing all of my dirty laundry was my least favorite thing, it was also the biggest blessing because it released me from shame. By inviting someone in who could help me, I learned so much more and make steps every day to become a better steward of what God has blessed me with.

Prayer: Father God, thank you for your Son, Jesus, and for sending Him to Calvary so that we don’t have to crumble under the weight of shame. We will make mistakes in this life, and none of it surprises you or disqualifies us from living the life that you are calling us to. I pray that we have the courage to do the hard things, even when we feel like we hate it, to undo the shame that the enemy tries to use against us. Thank you for loving us and always being there for us.

 In Jesus Name

So what is it for you? Where are you holding on to shame instead of first laying it at the feet of Jesus, then inviting a healthy community to help you navigate the situation? 

Leave a comment and tell me!

Your Real Estate Bestie,