Have you ever...

For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” (Romans 1:16-17)

Have you ever been 'ashamed' of something you have said, done, or believed? I have and it didn't leave me feeling all that good! Why? Shame has a way of 'eating at you'. You feel 'guilty' all the time, and your emotions range from embarrassment to inferiority. Somehow, the enemy of our soul is delighted anytime there is this fear of dishonor, a sense of disgrace, emotions of disappointment, and feelings of extreme condemnation. This is not the way God wants us to live. He wants us to shed our shame as we come to him for when sin has been erased, shame has no place. 

There might be times when we feel a bit 'ashamed' to admit that Christ has been at work in our lives. It is as though we don't want to be 'judged' by others when God has pinpointed something in us that he wants to work on and heal. Why do we do this to ourselves? God's plan was always to have us in relationship with other believers - as support, encouragement, and advisors to live a godly and wholesome life. When we fear what they will think of us, how they will treat us 'differently' once they 'know' what God is working on, we give into Satan's plan to keep us isolated and without that support that comes within community.

The thing we must keep in mind is that salvation (saying yes to Jesus) was just the door opening to a dynamic way of living. Shame has no place there, but sometimes it takes a bit to convince our minds that the work begun in our hearts by Jesus is changing the way we see ourselves, how others see us, and most importantly - how God the Father sees us. There should never be shame in telling others the joy we have found in our salvation. We don't hesitate to tell others about the latest fads or diets, so why do we hesitate to tell others what God has been doing in our lives. It is likely a pride thing - because when we 'cop to the plea' of sinner, we fear others will see us in a different light.

When we say yes to Jesus, the 'difference' seen isn't anything we should be ashamed of - it is life, light, and goodness expressed in the totally undeserved grace of God within our lives. Satan my try to make us feel the shame of our past, but God's good news is that there is no condemnation (shame) for those who are in Christ Jesus. Just sayin!