Don't Be Ashamed

Have you ever been in a group of people who are dissin' something that has to do with God and you don't know what to say?  I have, and I think I was ashamed to be associated with Jesus at that moment:(  That's a shame which Welch says was a good thing, it made me think, to confess, to repent.

Welch talks about this shame, to be embarrassed to take a stand with Jesus, in front of people we see as smarter, stronger,... than we are.  But listen, Jesus is not ashamed to be associated with us!!  How can we respond to that?  How about not being ashamed to be associated with Him??

Jesus isn't ashamed to be with me/us

Jesus is our older brother, who is pleased to play a game with us, no matter who is watching.  Remember when one of your friends dropped by and wanted to go for a ride but you were playing with your younger sister?  Do we drop our little sister to go with our friend?  Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters (Heb 2:11).  He sacrificed Himself, His divinity, His place in heaven to become like us, for us.  Can we say Thank you?

Don't be ashamed to be with Him

Can you think of a time when someone who was "low on the totem pole" was ashamed to be associated with someone who was "high on the totem pole"?  Not too often does this happen when someone unworthy is ashamed to be identified with someone who is honourable and worthy, Welch tells us.  The disciples were happy to identified with Jesus even when He got into disagreements with the ruling Jews.  But when it came to Jesus on trial...  they all ran!!  Paul talks about this type of shame when associated with Jesus and others who also believe in Jesus in 2 Timothy 1 and he encourages us to keep "the end" in sight.  But that's unnatural for shame because shame wants to keep us in the past, the shameful event and the horrible consequences.

The Kingdom of God, and the mind shaped by that Kingdom puts future joys front and centre (p. 295).  Paul wants to encourage us to think to the future but recognizes how hard this is so he asks for prayer about this (Eph 6:20; Col 4:4).  It's hard when you don't really know what you're getting into.  Welch uses the analogy of getting married.  We easily say 'I do' but what happens when things get rough?  It's the same in our relationship with God.  If we believe in God because we think there will be personal advantages it will be hard.  Our human nature craves status and worth and we loathe worthlessness.  There is something in us that KNOWS we exist for something better  and WE DO.

Problem is we think the existing for something better is in US, so Paul's admonishment in 2 Timothy 1:8 is for us.  Don't pursue people for our own significance, but pursue people for Jesus' sake. Here is where Paul's encouragement in 1 Peter 3:14-17 will help us as we also know things will get messy when we spread God's Word and live a life directed toward God.