Caine - Unashamed: drop the baggage, pick up your freedom, fulfill your destiny

Of any book that Christine Caine has written, Unashamed has unmatched potential to bring deep healing into the lives of those who are broken and hurting. Each chapter is overflowing with raw transparency, healing grace, and scriptural hope. Whether you are struggling or know someone who is, this book will build your faith and equip you to move from shame to freedom and Gods ultimate plan for your life.

Craig Groeschel, senior pastor of Life.Church and author of #StrugglesFollowing Jesus in a Selfie-Centered World

Christine Caine is undeniably anointed, unashamedly Christ-focused, and unguardedly real. Simplyher work is unparalleled. Youyour soulcant afford not to read her.

Ann Voskamp,New York Times bestselling author of The Greatest Gift and One Thousand Gifts

Theres no one better equipped than my friend Christine Caine to speak to the power of shedding shame in the lives of believers. Her words here provide a pathway to freedom from a life shaped by shame. Her sincere and strong voice will inspire you, and her own display of courage will give you strength to step fully into Gods love and grace.

Judah Smith, lead pastor, The City Church, Seattle, and New York Times bestselling author of Jesus Is ______.

I memorized the verse from Romans about there being no shame or condemnation for those of us who are in Christ Jesus when I was a little girl; unfortunately, I was still crippled by shame as a grown woman decades later. From my experience, shame is one of the most effective tools the enemy uses to oppress believers and emasculate the church. Which makes this book a MUST READ. Frankly, I encourage you to buy several cases of these puppies and pass them out to your entire community!

Lisa Harper, author and Bible teacher

In Unashamed, Christine Caine acknowledges that shame does not discriminateit seeps into the lives of the successful as well as the downcast. But Christine shares as only she canwith great passion and authenticityabout the path away from darkness and shame. A path to freedom. God is bigger than our pasts, bigger than our mistakes. If you let it, Unashamed will transform your life and set you on a path to the abundant life God has for you.

Mark Batterson,New York Times bestselling author of The Circle Maker and lead pastor of National Community Church

Shame holds us back, holds us down, and holds us hostage. But in Unashamed, Christine shows us we dont have to let this be the reality of our lives. Her raw honesty and unwavering belief in Gods good plan is the refreshing encouragement your soul needs!

Lysa TerKeurst,New York Times bestselling author and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries

If the enemys weapons of choice are shame and fear, then think of Unashamed as a heavenly atomic bomb.

Steven Furtick, pastor, Elevation Church, and New York Times bestselling author

ZONDERVAN

Unashamed

Copyright 2016 by Christine Caine

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

ePub Edition April 2016: ISBN 978-0-310-34072-0

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Caine, Christine, author.

Title: Unashamed : drop the baggage, pick up your freedom, fulfill your destiny / Christine Caine.

Description: Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 2016.

Identifiers: LCCN 2015049864 | ISBN 9780310340706 (hardcover)

Subjects: LCSH: Christian women Religious life. | Liberty Religious aspects Christianity. | Shame Religious aspects Christianity. | Self-realization Religious aspects Christianity.

Classification: LCC BV4527 .C24 2016 | DDC 248.8/43 dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015049864

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked AMP are from the AmplifiedBible. Copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from the New King James Version. 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Some names and circumstances of the peoples stories told in this book have been changed to protect their privacy.

Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Published in association with the literary agency of David O. Middlebrook, 4501 Merlot Avenue, Grapevine, Texas 76051

Cover design: Jessica Davis

Cover photography: David Dobson Photography

Interior design: Kait Lamphere

First Printing March 2016

To my beloved friend, Beth Moore.

Each friend represents a world in us, a world not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.

Anais Nin

I will be forever grateful that our worlds collided.
Your friendship is a priceless gift.

CONTENTS

Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.

Isaiah 50:7

I spent the first twenty-two years of my life shackled by shame. Looking back, I realize I had always felt it. It had been a part of my life from my earliest memories.

I felt it when I was rejected. Made to feel unworthy. Of no value.

I felt it when I was abused. And couldnt tell anyone. And believed it was somehow my fault.

I felt it when I tried to hide who I was, apologize for who I was, minimize my talents, or overachieve and compensate for feeling somehow less than.

Have you felt it? If youre human, you haveand the result is always the same.

Shame makes us feel small. Flawed. Not good enough. And controlled.

Shame is the fear of being unworthy, and it adversely affects our relationship with God, ourselves, and others. It greatly hinders our ability to receive Gods unconditional loveand share it with others.

Because of Gods great love, I began to discover the power of Gods Word to break through the lies I had believedand to reveal the truth of who I am and why I was created. Notice that the key word in that sentence is began. Breaking free from the shackles of shame is not an overnight experience or a quick-fix, ten-step process. It is, however, a grand, ongoing adventure of discovering the depths of Gods love and the huge scope of Gods power to transform us, re-create us, and continually renew us. I am still discovering deeper aspects of those things, after all this time, and I know the process will not end until I meet him face to face. I wouldnt have it any other way. In fact, writing this book has been one more step on that journey for me, because shame loses its power when it is expressed. I hope that by sharing with you my story, you will open up your heart and allow God to lift the shame off you so you can flourish and become all that hes created you to be.