Being revealed to creation
as ones loved and restored by God is a key aspect of our life as followers of
Jesus (Romans 8:19) – so being hidden is surely the very antithesis of that. And yet because
of shame this is the condition many Christians find themselves in. For just as
the story about Adam and Eve recognising their nakedness shows us, shame always
makes us want to hide from others.
Shame can lurk in our heart
for all kinds of different reasons. We can be ashamed of how we appear, of how
we were brought up, of something bad that happened to us or that we did. Shame
can be a debilitating, draining, and demotivating force within. And yes – it can
propel us away from creation.
It’s good to know,
therefore, that whatever we feel about ourselves, ‘Jesus is not ashamed to call
us brothers’ (Hebrews 2:11). Despite all that has gone wrong with humanity, we
are still the crowning glory of creation as ones created in God’s image. Jesus
himself shares in the flesh and blood that we are made of; he became one of us –
in all our weaknesses. And he is putting right what has gone wrong in our
lives. Jesus is not ashamed of us.
So if shame is an issue in
your life, why not replace it with the truth of how Jesus feels about you? Don’t
stay hidden – be revealed. After all, creation doesn’t play hide and seek.
