Freedom is a real thing.
We were never designed to be healed by shame, but by reconciliation. Shame isolates, convinces us we are alone, and drives us to hide, but Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5 that God Himself took the initiative to reconcile us to Himself through Christ, “not counting our trespasses against us.” Healing begins not with self-condemnation, but with the truth that we are already being pursued, restored, and made new in Him. We cannot repair what is broken in us by sheer willpower, nor by carrying our wounds in silence; we were created to need God and one another. In Christ, we are given a new identity and entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation, which means our stories—especially the broken parts—become instruments of grace. To other broken men: you are not weak for sharing your story; you are walking in the light. When we speak honestly about where we’ve been, we resist shame’s lie and make room for God’s healing power to meet us together, not alone.