-Devotion by Carla Hardy (MI)
Paul mentions the word “ashamed” several times in 2 Timothy 1. He tells Timothy to not be ashamed of Jesus nor of himself (v. 8). In verse 12 he says he, Paul, is not ashamed. Lastly, in verse 16 he refers to Onesiphorus, commending him for not being ashamed of Paul’s chains.
Merriam-Webster defines the concept of being ashamed as “feeling shame, guilt or disgrace.” It also says if one is ashamed he is “reluctant or unwilling to do something because of shame or embarrassment.”
This begs the questions: why would Timothy be ashamed of Jesus? Why would Paul be ashamed of himself, or why would anyone else? And the better question is: why would WE?
I’m sure we have all been ashamed of something about ourselves or our lives. Something we have done has caused us shame or perhaps someone in our family has embarrassed us. This, quite simply, is so human of us. But, to be ashamed of what Jesus has done, of who he is? Why would we? The sad answer is, there is a reason why Paul mentions this in 2 Timothy. We all are capable of this. Can we admit that?
If we are honest with ourselves, there have likely been times where we don’t share the good news of Jesus with someone. There probably have been times when we just felt like it wasn’t the best environment to share it in or the best people to share it with. Maybe we have felt different and wanted to blend in with the crowd, so we didn’t outwardly show or voice who we were in Jesus. To acknowledge this reality hurts – but it is true.
Sometimes we need these truths, though. I’m grateful we have Paul’s words here to remind us that we should never ever be ashamed of God, His son, or the saving grace we’ve all been given.
Let us remember Romans 1:16 whenever we feel shame creeping in: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…”
Reflection Questions:
- Can you recall a time when you were ashamed of the gospel?
- When you feel like you could be inching towards being ashamed, what can you tangibly do, in that moment, to conquer this tactic of the enemy?
Prayer:
God, thank you for your word, and how you spoke through your saints, like Paul, to warn us about hard truths that we may fall prey to. Help us to always remember to not be ashamed. Help us to remember to feel and act upon the very opposite: that you are unapologetically worthy of our adoration and praise, whether we are alone or with others. Amen.
Seek Grow Love 