Ashamed

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek – Romans 1:16

Have you ever been ashamed of being associated with someone?  Have you felt embarrassed by some Christians?  Are you ashamed of the Gospel of Christ?

I recently attended a conference where we previewed a new movie, Blue Like Jazz based on a book by Donald Miller. This is a new Christian movie that will soon be released that features the story of a Christian young man who enrolls in Reed College in Portland, Oregon, a college where there are almost no Christians and anyone who identifies himself or herself as a Christian on campus is made fun of by the students.  Although this young man comes from a strong Christian background, he is afraid to identify himself on campus as a Christian because students on campus see Christians as hypocrites or small-minded, religious bigots. This is exacerbated by the fact that his Christian mother is having an affair with the Youth Pastor of his home church.  All this leads to him being ashamed of his faith.

To be ashamed means to feel guilty because of what you have done or a characteristic you have. It also can be defined as a reluctance to do something due to fear of embarrassment or humiliation.  This young man does not want to be embarrassed or humiliated by his peers so he chooses not to reveal who he really is and even begins to do things that are contrary to the values of his faith.  He is ashamed of the Gospel of Christ.

We cannot be bold representatives of Christ in the marketplace if we are in any way ashamed to be identified as a Christians, no matter the reason.  It is true that there are times when some individuals who profess to be Christians, churches, or Christian leaders do very embarrassing things and even stupid things like:

• Getting drunk in public events
• Cheating on their mates
• Making derogatory statements about others
• Appearing small-minded
• Seeming too judgmental

Unfortunately Christians are people too.  They make mistakes and many times will not act consistently with their stated beliefs.  Some who profess to be Christians are not disciplined enough to walk as faithful Christians and some think they are Christians when they are just members of an organized religion and not real believers.  Whenever possible, we should confront each other when we see signs of hypocrisy in each others’ behavior, but others’ actions should never cause us to distance ourselves from the faith.  These acts should even more demonstrate our great need for a savior and should have no reflection on the Savior.   Just because we are Christ’s representative does not mean we always represent Him nor does it mean everything we do is of Christ.  How do I overcome my shame for the Gospel?

1. Recognize that you are ashamed
2. Identify the source of your shame
3. Distinguish between Christ’s representative and Christ Himself
4. Repent, if necessary
5. Recognize the power of the Gospel
6. Be willing to lose your reputation or opportunity
7. Seek the Lord for the courage to be who you are

Whether your shame is due to something you did, something others did or just because you lack the courage to face the criticism of being identified with some of the challenges that is a part of Christianity, seek the Lord today to relieve you of that shame so that you can be all for Him that He wants you to be in the marketplace.