Review
PUBLICATION DATE: APRIL 30, 2012
ow can someone who feels unloved, unaccepted, dirty and ashamed come before a holy God? Is there a way to feel better, to feel loved, to feel accepted, to be clean? Is there hope?
Shame has a dehumanizing nature. It afflicts the core of your soul, it becomes your identity. You feel worthless, and there’s nothing you or anyone can do to make you feel better. No accomplishment, no material thing, not even the love of a spouse or your children can put an end to it once and for all. Author Edward T. Welch, MDiv, PhD, and licensed psychologist, helps us discover the powerful remedy for shame.
And the doctor is in! Through this book, Mr. Welch will help you dig deep, deeper, and deepest into your heart and soul to unearth the shame that’s hiding there, so that you may be able to acknowledge it, describe it, and confront it the right way. Just as the author wishes, this book is a safe place where you can identify shame, acknowledge it in your life and bring hope to it by receiving comforting words from God.
At first, it feels as if the author spends too much time describing and identifying shame, but I believe he does this based on his experience, knowing how difficult it is for us to acknowledge shame in our life, since we become masters at hiding it. The author goes to great lengths to help us understands the need for being clean and holy, and how this is something that, although we might try to do it by ourselves, God is the only one who can accomplish it.
He takes the reader on a journey that starts in the Old Testament, the beginnings of our shame with Adam and Eve, through the Law and the wonderful culmination in Jesus and His loving grace. He weaves a story of uncleanliness, unworthiness, the need to be clean and holy, and the amazing work Jesus has done to identify with us so that we may identify with Him and find peace.
But not only does Mr. Welch lead us to identify with Jesus; he also shows us how to identify with the outcasts, rejected, and uncleaned that went up to Him and asked, “Lord, if you you’re willing, you can make me clean”, so that we can do the same before Him. And the most important and liberating thing he emphasizes is that we cannot do this in our strength, but only in the power of the Holy Spirit.
The discussion questions at the end of each chapter are a great guide to go deeper in our understanding of the profound ideas and truths found in the book.
Shame Interrupted is a wonderful tool for those of us who have experienced shame, either for something we have done or something that was done to us, and need the love, acceptance and peace that only God gives. However, if you think that this idea of shame does not apply to you, this book is a wonderful tool to help you show mercy, love and understanding to those who need it.
He does spend a great deal of words helping the reader identify shame in their life. For me, this was necessary, even though I bought the book knowing that shame was a huge part of my problem. Shame and guilt were confused in my mind, and it took every word he wrote to help me understand the difference. The book is written so skillfully, each chapter building on the previous one. By the time that I finished it, I knew that my 55 years of being shamed were not going to be wasted by me allowing shame to define me any longer. I am starting to re read it, this time taking the time to write answers to the end of chapter questions. God used this book in a mighty way in my life. This book continually pointed me to the Bible, and encouraged me to associate myself with Jesus Christ. I am very glad that he took the time to write this book.