There is a time when shame is proper. In fact, the Lord rebuked His people through a prophet of old for being in sin and feeling no shame. “‘Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when I punish them,’ says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 6:15)
But some types of shame are undeserved. One may be humiliated for simply loving Jesus. What should a person do with this shame? It sounds strange, but Jesus says, “Rejoice!” “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11-12)
I think there is another type of shame that may come to one who follows Jesus. This is the shame Job felt when everything in his life went wrong. When a person is free from sin and walking in fellowship with the Lord and everything crashes down, shame can easily attack. This type of shame is a weapon of the devil that targets confidence, faith, and hope. “If he was really a servant of God, he would not be in that condition.” “If she really loved the Lord, He would heal her.” “God would never let such a terrible thing happen to a Christian that pleased Him.” The friends of Job offered some strong religious arguments with just one serious flaw… they were wrong.
Sometimes God ordains such shame to be a part of the lives of His children. Never was this proven so true as in the method of Jesus’ death. In those days, a cross equated with shame. While watching Him hang, the rare individual said, “Surely this was the Son of God.” The common thought was, “This could never be the Son of God! Would God ever subject one He loved to such a humiliating death?”
Jesus gives His followers the way to handle such shame. To scorn means “to reject as unworthy”, and this is what Jesus did with shame. We thank God that He did not scorn the Cross, but we rejoice that He scorned the shame. May we follow in His steps this new year.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:1-3