Not Ashamed

My last post about "The Burden of the LORD" was, in my opinion, a fairly abstract and vague expression of the feelings and experiences that I've had since Camp Woodmen. One of the many points made in that article that I didn't take the time to elaborate on was the importance of sharing the work of God in your life with others, as I wrote:

Whenever God gives you something useful to share with someone, you should say it... it may be a story of something that happened in your life that speaks to an issue someone is having... it may be sharing how God supplied your needs or worked in your life; it may be a good work that you have done by faith and the benefit that it brought to your life or someone else's; it may be a time when you stood up for something; it may be a time when you didn't stand up for something when you should have. Whatever the case, I found myself, as a counselor, very naturally doing something that was unnatural for me: I was telling people exactly what was in my heart if I had anything at all in mind that I knew would be profitable for them to hear.

A few days after camp ended, in the midst of this epiphany about the "burden of the LORD," I came across something that Paul wrote which really hit me in a new way:

Romans 1:16-17
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

Why would anyone be ashamed of the gospel? This is something that I didn't even know I struggled with - one more heavy burden that I had put on myself that God was finally lifting.
When we come into the church of God, we are not perfect. I've been baptized for a little over 7 years now, and in that time I have seen a dramatic contrast between who I was then and who I am now. Every one of us undergoes a transformational process of being led by the Holy Spirit to develop righteous character and turn from our former ways. In that process, we undergo changes of perspective, changes of behavior, changes of attitude, and changes of outlook. Paul made it no secret that he had undergone such changes himself:

1 Timothy 1:12-16
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to His service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. 

Paul was not ashamed of the gospel and not afraid to tell people what kind of changes God had produced in him! He frequently reminded people exactly what kind of man he had been, and he had no fear or shame in doing so for the sake of making the gospel message more powerful. Instead, he used his personal example to demonstrate for others the power of God that had transformed his life. Moreover, he was not afraid to give glory to God because of the good things that God had done for him, stating over and over that it was not he who had made this great change, but God working in him through the Spirit. 

This is where my thoughts about the burden of the LORD come in: we should not be afraid or ashamed to share our past struggles, God's deliverance of us, or God's mercy on us with each other if it will benefit someone else! Not only was Paul not ashamed to humble himself in telling how bad he had been, but he was also not ashamed to say that God had worked powerfully in him.

2 Corinthians 6:11-13
We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open. We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us your own affections. Now in return for the same (I speak as to children), open wide your hearts also.

For too long, I was, without really being aware of it, ashamed or afraid to share the transformation that God was working out in my life. This is part of the reason why I didn't have the courage to speak from my heart before in many situations, because I thought it might either bring me shame or, on the other hand, be construed as boasting on my part, but I have learned that neither is true if we are speaking out of love and giving the glory to God and Jesus Christ. 

Saturday night, at the dance at the end of camp, I had a conversation with another member of the counseling staff. I don't even remember how we got on this subject, but I told her, in brief, the 2 or 3 most difficult trials that I have faced in my life, which are, incidentally, the bulk of the story of how God called me and how He has continued to work with me over the last 7 years. I told her plainly and without shame every shortcoming that I had during those times, but I also told her how I could now see what God was supplying in me through those trials - things that I was lacking in that have made me a better person. There were distinct reasons that God put me through those trials which, when I started telling the story, I saw more clearly than I ever had before. God changed me into the person that I am today primarily through those trials, and, just as with Paul, it makes for a compelling and inspiring story of how God works with His people. It's not something that I want to share in this venue at this time, but it's something that I'll share with anyone who asks, or else anyone who seems like they need to hear it.

Paul said, "I am not ashamed of the gospel... For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed." Don't let your own previous faults stop you from sharing the powerful story of how the righteousness from God has been revealed in your life, because He works in ALL of His people with the power of the Holy Spirit. God meant for us to share these stories with each other so that we can encourage each other and mutually strengthen one another's faith!

If you have experiences that show you to be a good example, don't be ashamed to tell people about the good works that God has done in you by the Spirit. If you have experiences where you have been a bad example and God showed you a better way, don't be ashamed that you were not the person you should have been, but rather explain to others how God supplied what you needed to overcome your shortcomings. In all things, do not be ashamed of the gospel and the righteousness that God, through the gospel, has revealed in your life.