Articles
Overcoming Shame
Brene Brown is our culture’s latest self-help guru. “She specializes in some of life’s toughest topics: feeling unworthy, feeling not good or strong enough, self-perceived shortcomings, trauma, regret, fear, rejection – experiences many of us have but don’t know how to address or overcome” (The Costco Connection, p. 31). The feature article on Ms. Brown briefly sets forth some of her philosophy: “Brown’s research is opening a door to normalizing discussion around these topics, starting with looking closely at two influential emotions: vulnerability and shame” (ibid). Brown says, “We live in a vulnerable world. And one of the ways we deal with it is we numb vulnerability … We are the most in-debt, obese, addicted and medicated adult cohort in U.S. history. The problem is… that you cannot selectively numb emotion. You can’t say, ‘Here’s vulnerability, here’s grief, here’s shame, here’s fear, here’s disappointment. I don’t want to feel these. I’m going to have a … banana nut muffin’” (ibid).
Ms. Brown is making millions off her books, speeches, seminars, counseling organization and university professorship trying to help people grapple with emotional problems the Bible already answers. Brown seems to do a good job diagnosing the waywardness of many. But like many before her who ignore the word of God, she fails to provide real solutions. In her book The Gifts of Imperfection, Brown offers: “Wholehearted living is about engaging in our lives from a place of worthiness. It means cultivating the courage, compassion and connection to wake up in the morning and think, ‘No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough.’ It’s going to bed at night thinking, ‘Yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable and sometimes afraid, but that doesn’t change the truth that I am also brave and worthy of love and belonging’” (ibid).
Humanistic, New-Age philosophy always seeks emotional healing by cultivating self-worth. Ms. Brown surrenders to the inescapable truth that humans are imperfect, but then she counsels a “feel good about yourself anyway” outlook. Her jargon includes such wallpaper phrases as self-reflection, connection, courage to be vulnerable, wholeheartedness. Consider this gem of insight: “And vulnerability is the only way back. If we don’t have language and conversation, we won’t find our way back.” And this flash of brilliance: “Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves, even when we risk disappointing others” (ibid, p 33). What does that even mean?!
Yes, we have good reason to feel vulnerable and ashamed. Yes, we are disconnected from God and each other . But the “way back” is through genuine repentance and an appeal to God for forgiveness through Jesus’ sacrifice. Introspection and honest self-appraisal are vital but lead to submission to God’s will and inward transformation, not some papered-over pretense of “I’m ok just the way I am.” It is sad to see the world seek for answers in the wrong places, and it is frustrating when the blind leaders of the blind are celebrated for their “insight” when God has already addressed these issues. Seems like we want answers from anywhere but the Bible.
