Hebrews 12: 1-3 TPT tells us to let go of our wounds, the words/arrows that have pierced us in life and created unbelief. Then we can overcome any conflict or agony that appears in our lives on our paths that God has personally appointed to each of us. We are to fasten our gaze upon Jesus, Who birthed faith within us and leads us onward into perfect faith. His heart was focused on the joy that we would be His so “He placed before His eyes” (He saw into the future, He used His imagination) to see the bliss of all of us being together, IN HIM. This empowered Him to go through His agony.

He conquered the humiliation of the cross. How? In some translations it says He despised the shame of it, or He “scorned” it. Those words make me think of expending focus and energy toward the shame. But in my study notes in TPT it said “thinking nothing of the shame.” Sounds to me like He paid absolutely NO attention to it at all. It had “no hook” in Him. It did not exist. TALK ABOUT FAITH! How often do we feel shame in this realm? We may feel it, but we must learn to realize if Jesus counted it as nothing that means we can do the same.

Here is a practical, body-based way to handle the emotion of shame. Say out loud, “this is shame, I am in pain, it’s painful” till you come into conscious awareness of it. Speaking it brings it from the emotional part of the brain into the executive part which brings understanding so you don’t stay stuck in the feeling of it. Then talk to Jesus about it and ask for His comfort, perspective and healing. This takes time because we are humans operating in a fallen realm that constantly calls for our focus. Remember we are all “a work in progress.”

The enemy will do all he can to magnify pain we experience to get us to focus on it but we need to learn to be more aware of the joy set before each of us. Will this entail conflict and pain on our paths? Yes. Not to the same extent as what Jesus endured, but we will go through stuff.  HOWEVER! I bless all of you with stepping up to the battle for joy today, in Jesus name!