Let’s be honest: most of us aren’t undone by earthquakes—we’re undone by slow shifts in the ground beneath us.
We don’t wake up one day with a completely jacked-up life.
It starts small: a compromise here, a wound there, a shame we swallow instead of speak.
Before long, the ground we built our identity on starts to crack. And we either pretend it’s fine… or we begin the hard, holy work of repair.
This is where The Jacked Up Life begins—with the cracks.
The Lies That Creep In
In Chapter 1, I talk about how shame doesn’t just knock on the front door—it slips in through the foundation. It shows up in quiet statements we start to believe as truth:
“If people really knew me, they wouldn’t love me.”
“I have to be perfect to be accepted.”
“My mistakes define me.”
“God’s love is earned, not given.”
These aren’t just bad theology.
They’re tremors in the structure of your soul.
Left unchecked, they’ll shift how you see yourself, how you relate to others, and how you receive grace. And yet, we often live with these internal fractures, thinking they’re just part of the house we’ve been given.
Guilt vs. Shame: Know the Difference
One of the most important ideas from the first chapter is this: guilt says “I did something bad.” Shame says “I am bad.”
Guilt can be a healthy response that points us toward repentance.
Shame is a toxic identity that convinces us we’re beyond redemption.
Shame doesn’t push us toward change. It paralyzes us in fear, secrecy, and self-loathing. It makes us think the best we can do is manage the damage.
But what if, instead of managing it, we admitted it?
You Can’t Heal What You Won’t Name
The starting point of The Jacked Up Life isn’t behavior modification or sin management.
It’s confession. Not the performative kind. The gut-level, grace-seeking kind.
You can’t jack up a house for repair without first acknowledging the cracks.
That’s what I’ve had to do in my own life. From legal consequences to spiritual implosions, I’ve had to stop pretending everything was okay and start admitting, “This isn’t working anymore.”
And when I did, something unexpected happened:
God didn’t shame me.
He lifted me.
What About You?
What cracks have you been stepping over instead of dealing with?
What lies have been quietly shaping your identity?
Where have you mistaken shame for humility?
This isn’t a call to panic. It’s a call to pause.
Pause and examine.
Pause and name the lie.
Pause and let grace meet you in the cracks.
Because sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do…
is admit that your foundation is jacked up.
Coming Up
In less than seven days, The Jacked Up Life releases on May 1st—a day I’ve called "Mayday" for anyone crying out for help, hope, or healing.
Set a reminder to order the book on Day One, or just subscribe to this site to be part of this journey from cracked to whole.
And stay tuned: The Jacked Up Life with Michael DiMarco podcast launches soon.
Raw stories. Real hope. Nothing off-limits.
Grace meets us in the mess. Let’s rebuild something unshakeable.
—Michael
Thanks, Jeannie! 🙌
Thanks, Bob! Miss our times in the studio together! Maybe we can jump on a podcast together sometime soon. I just finished the manuscript for “The Jacked Up Church” as well. Blessings!