Mountain of Shame

"Shame tries to cancel our missions commitment in two ways. We can feel that we are not good enough for missions, or we can feel that missions is not good enough for us. Being ashamed of sin can keep us away, and being ashamed of God can scare us away. We can feel crushed beneath the shame of sin, or we can feel comfortable above the shame of the cross. In either case, shame wins and we lose.

This is not the will of Christ for you. "Your sins are forgiven... Your faith has saved you; go [forth to mission!] in peace [not in shame!]" (Luke 7:48, 50). Do not fear the world's shame. God's honor makes all the difference. "If anyone serves me, ... the Father will honor him" (John 12:26).

So let us go on from strength to strength in the courage of God's promises: "He who believes in Him will not be put to shame" (1 Peter 2:6); "No one who believes in Him will be put to shame" (Romans 10:11)' Therefore, "Do not be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord" (2 Timothy 1:8)"

~ "A Godward Life", John Piper

Today's devotion spoke to me in 2 points. Firstly, shame is shattered by the bombshells of God's promises. Secondly, sin's shamefulness is sin as it does not trust in God's promises. Shame can only be overcome by the truth-washing of God's Word, which will thrust us from misplaced shame to mission's flame. How many a times, we feel ashamed of the Gospel because we think we have sinned, or just unworthy? or even indeed embarassed for what we believe in, which in our opinion, probably made us think that we are not really changed by the Gospel indeed? How many a times, we feel shy and powerless because we have succumbed to sin again?

If ever we feel this way, surrender and ask the Lord to direct that misplaced shame to mission's flame through the washing of His truth in our shy hearts.