Thoughts on Shame

When Paul writes In chapter one of Romans that he is not ashamed, as I discussed last week, he's making a very bold statement.

Let's talk about shame. According to the dictionary, shame Is defined as the "painful Feeling arising from the consciousness Of something dishonorable, improper, ridiculous." A friend once told me that shame is a feeling of,"I am wrong, therefore I am innately wrong, I.e., created wrong." Compare that to guilt, which is a God-given gift of the Holy Spirit to steer our daily course of direction.

Shame, however, is not God-given. It's man-driven. We see shame used as a tool of religion, all the time, through the centuries. I'm not an expert on Jewish history or relations, but it would be easy to imagine that Jews during Paul's time would have completely shunned him, trying to use shame to "get himself right."

So it's a bold statement for Paul to assert that he is NOT ashamed. No one was going to put that shame on him. No one was going to force him away from Christ. No amount of danger, physical, emotional, anything, would change his mind.

Shame is a powerful motivator. But not a healthy one. It's not easy to assert oneself, to stand up and say, no matter what, I'm staying on this path. I'm doing what's right, what I'm called to do. And at this point, Paul is challenging the beliefs of the Jews. Not only is he preaching and teaching the gospel, this gospel of Jesus Christ, but he is offering holiness to the Gentile! To the Greek! To the non-Greek!

To rise above shame takes courage. Honor. Power. Paul tapped into the power of the Holy Spirit to rise above the opinion, threat, and dishonor that his background threatened. He lived according to God's power, not his own.

That's the only way to rise above shame.

I Am Not Ashamed

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. Romans 1:16

Well, I am back to the blogging world.  I flit around, in and out, unpredictable.  Ha!  Actually, I gave up in the summer; with my kid home, I felt like I could never find a quiet moment.  Now school has started, our schedule is back in swing, and hopefully I can remain committed to sharing my thoughts as I study His word. 

I will be spending some time with you in Romans.  I've been studying it since June, and - wow!  What a powerful letter!  Paul just blows my mind sometimes!  He's so intellectual, yet so accessible.  I can't wait to have a conversation with him someday (although I may have to say, dumb it down for me, Paul!).

Look at the verse, above.  A phrase we all know pretty well.  I am not ashamed of the gospel.  But then look at the next phrase, the why:  Because it is the power of God.  Let's stop there.

The gospel - in other words, the story of Jesus, of salvation, of grace - is the power of God.  To me, that means that God's power is proclaimed through the message of Jesus.  And that's what Jesus said, too, right?  He said He was here to do His Father's will.  But the amazing thing is that the power of God didn't end when Jesus left earth.

The power of God is proclaimed every time the gospel is read.  Preached.  Heard.  Thought about.  Talked about.  And I don't think it's over reaching to think that the gospel is read, preached, heard, thought about, or talked about - every single second of every single day.  Which then tells me that God's power is moving, every single second of every single day.

Let's look at the next phrase:  that brings salvation to everyone who believes.  What a strong, powerful reminder.  It is GOD who brings salvation.  Not our works.  Not our birthright.  Not our church.  It is GOD, through His SON and His Spirit.  God and God alone brings salvation.

And just to break this down, what is salvation?  Let's make sure we all understand this.  The dictionary definition is, "deliverance from the power and penalty of sin; redemption."  Deliverance.  A new beginning, new start, new life.  

Only God can create life.  And then, He re-creates it.  Through His offer of salvation, through His kindness, mercy, and goodness, through the abundance of love He gives.  

You know, if you really grasp the second part of the verse, this power of God thing, then you truly begin to live the first part.  I am not ashamed.  Nothing can hold me back.  This God, this power, this salvation, is too strong and too much and too EVERYTHING!  I can't keep quiet about it!  

Hope someone is reading.  I'll be spending a lot of time in Romans in the coming weeks.  Love to all.