others who will listen. Our fear is that our worthlessness will only be confirmed if we open up to others, but the irony is that only by opening up to others can the toxic power of shame be dispelled. The psalmist tells us that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). This is the truth about us. Shame is based on the lie that this is not true, and that our worthlessness disqualifies us from the right to connect with God and others. Believing this lie leaves us feeling profoundly alone