P. Boye Motivations

Dear Reader,

Have you ever walked into a room and felt like everyone was laughing about you?

Not at your jokes. Not with admiration.

But at you.

The kind of humiliation that burns. That you feel in your chest. That you replay when you’re lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering why you ever trusted them, said that, wore that, believed that, or even showed up.

It’s not always loud.

Sometimes humiliation comes in the form of a screenshot you didn’t know was taken.
A group chat you were left out of.
A secret that someone told behind your back.
A joke that made everyone laugh, but cost you your dignity.

And sometimes, it’s public failure.

You tried to speak and your voice shook.
You launched a business and it flopped.
You preached or led worship and fumbled your words.
You dated someone and it ended in a way that left you broken and gossiped about.

Humiliation has a way of making you feel like you’ll never recover.

But here’s the truth nobody says loud enough: You will.

We serve a God who doesn’t just sit with us in our victories. He stoops to where we’re face-down in the dirt.

The Bible says:

“He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap” (Psalm 113:7)

Do you know what the “ash heap” is? It’s where the rejected were thrown. Where the broken went to cry. Where everything that was burned, discarded, or seen as useless ended up.

And yet, that’s the exact place God chooses to pick people up from.

So yeah, you messed up. Maybe you made a poor choice. Maybe you were too trusting. Maybe they humiliated you because they were intimidated by you.

Whatever the story, here’s what I want you to hear loud and clear: your shame doesn’t get the final word.

Here’s what to do when humiliation hits harder than you ever expected:

1. Feel it; don’t fake healing.
   God isn’t intimidated by your embarrassment. Cry if you need to. Mourn the version of yourself that didn’t see this coming. But don’t pretend you’re okay when you’re bleeding inside.
2. Don’t shrink to avoid being seen.
   Humiliation will make you want to disappear. Cancel plans. Delete your accounts. Quit the assignment. But don’t give that moment the power to define your presence. You still deserve to take up space.
3. Talk to someone safe.
   Shame grows in silence. Let a friend, mentor, or counselor into your pain. It helps loosen the grip of humiliation when someone reminds you you’re still worthy of love and belonging.
4. Let God redeem what they tried to ruin.
   The same God who watched Peter deny Him three times in public is the One who restored him in public too. He didn’t leave Peter in the shame. He called him back into purpose.

And He’ll do the same for you.

Dear Reader,

The world is harsh. People can be cruel. But Jesus… He is kind.

He sees how hard you tried. He knows how exposed you feel. And still, He says, “Come.” Come with the cracked voice. Come with the failed attempt. Come with the shaky self-esteem.

He will cover you.
He will clothe you in honor again.
He will use what shamed you to shape you.

And one day, not too far from now, you’ll be the one comforting someone else who’s just come out of their own fire. You’ll remind them that God restores. Because you’ve lived it.

So if you feel humiliated today, lift your head.
You’re not done.
You’re not a joke.
You’re not forgotten.

You are loved by the One who was humiliated on a cross, naked, bleeding, and mocked – just so you’d never have to carry shame alone again.

And that, dear reader, is your anchor.

Always.

Sharon Paulina Boye

June 16, 2025