Unashamed

Romans 1:16 - For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ.  It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes - the Jew first and also the Gentile.

We should never be ashamed of our faith or embarrassed that we are living for a purpose far greater than ourselves or beyond anything that the world can promise.

How easy is it to get caught up in what the crowd is doing?  How easy is it to use the excuse that we have to go along to get along?  Peer pressure doesn't stop when we are no longer teenagers in high school.  It continues our entire lives.  In a culture that has very loose moral values, people excuse behaviors all the time because they are afraid of offending anyone.  They say things like, "Well everyone cheats on their spouse."  How ridiculous is this?!  No, not everyone does that!  And if they do, it should not be rationalized away.

God doesn't expect us to be perfect.  He knows and understands that we are all a work in progress (Philippians 1:6).  But He does expect us to be repentant for the sins we commit, and not try to find creative excuses for why they happened.

Jesus asked a great question.  He asked, "And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?  Is anything worth more than your soul?" (Mark 8:36).  If you are choosing to not do something because you know it would be wrong, you should never be ashamed of it.  If someone tries to call you out on it, turn it around on them and tell them that you aren't doing it because you are living for something far greater than yourself, and far greater than the world could ever provide.  You are living for the eternal life that God promises to those who believe and live their lives for Him and His purpose.  It probably won't be the popular answer (to say the least), but it's the right answer

I spent 10 years of my life after I accepted Jesus as my Savior, kidding myself.  I misguidedly thought that since I was "saved" I was good to go.  I was a good person, I didn't really hurt anyone.  I was just enjoying my life, which I was confident that was what God wanted me to do.  Not only was I wrong, I can't remember ever once telling someone that I had been saved.  I felt embarrassed to talk about it.

God doesn't want us to be ashamed to know Him.  He wants us to be unashamed followers of His Son Jesus Christ who warned us that if we deny Him here on earth, He will deny us before His Father in Heaven (Matthew 10:33).  The last thing I ever want is to have Jesus deny me before God.  I am beyond grateful that the Holy Spirit convicted me after so many years of kidding myself so that I could seek the right relationship with Him.  I am blessed that I am not only a work in progress by God, but that He is delighting in what He is doing in and through me.  I know that I will stumble and fall from time to time, but I confidently trust that He will always be there to pick me up.  He is not ashamed to call me His son, and I will never be ashamed to call Him my Father.

Dear Abba Father, thank You for being such a loving and forgiving God of second (and third, fourth...) chances.  I know I never deserved any of them, but You gave them because You loved me.  I ask for the strength and courage that only You can provide as I go out into the world today.  I don't want to go along just to get along.  If speaking Your truths make me an outcast, I am happy to be considered an outcast.  I pray for those that have been ashamed to call You their Father in front of others.  My prayer is that they will be convicted by Your Holy Spirit, and boldly and unashamedly call You the King of Kings and Lord of Lords for everyone to hear.  In Jesus' name, Amen!



God Bless!!!