Shame Lifter by Marilyn Hontz - MY REVIEW

“I am a child of the ultimate Shame Lifter, the Lord God Almighty. The shame on me is gone.” (p. 179)

What or who is a shame lifter? Marilyn Hontz describes a shame lifter as someone who gives grace to the disgraced. (p. 13) Her book, Shame Lifter, is a beautiful gift of grace for each and every person who has ever felt shame for any reason. Her words are liberally entwined with Scripture as she shares with the reader her deliverance from shame. Although my journey has been much different from the author’s, in reading her words I was able to identify the many lies I have believed because of shame over past events. I cannot tell you how healing it was to read her story and realize how completely I am loved by my Heavenly Father! What a blessing!

Shame Lifter is designed to gently bring the reader into freedom from the shame they have in their lives. Whether the shame is from abuse, addictions, family dysfunction, weight issues…whatever it is, God has already crucified our shame on the Cross and offers his resurrection power to us in its place. Marilyn uses the story of her own life as a beautiful example of the healing work that God did throughout her life as she dealt with the loss of mother and a very painful relationship with her father and step mother.

Each chapter of this book flows easily from one idea to the next, and is connected by a series of thought-provoking questions that allow the reader to examine their own life. The author then identifies shame lifters for that particular need, and closes the chapter with prayer that is bathed in Scripture. I know I will be going back over these chapter ends many times – especially the prayers! They are powerful!

As I stated in the beginning of this review, Shame Lifter helped me to identify the effects of shame in my own life. This book also showed me that the Lord has blessed me with many shame lifters along life’s way as well, and I am ever so thankful for that! I highly recommend this book to everyone! May each of us be freed from the lies of shame to walk fully in the love of our Father!!

Please visit the Tyndale House website to learn more about this very special book!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Marilyn Hontz is a popular conference speaker and has been a guest on Focus on the Family’s daily radio broadcast. Marilyn is active at Central Wesleyan Church in Holland, Michigan, where her husband, Paul, is senior pastor. She and Paul have five children.