Shame

 

July 25, 2022

“And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”

“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.” —Genesis 2:25, 3:6-7

“To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in You; Let me not be ashamed; Let not my enemies triumph over me.” —Psalm 25:1-2 

I don’t have to think very hard to recall times I was ashamed. I had chosen what I knew was wrong and sinful, tried and failed to hide it, and filled with shame, had to finally admit what I had done. I wish I could say this happened only once. I wouldn’t say shame is a gift from God; it is a natural consequence of our sin which God uses to restore us, if we are willing. The archetypal story of Adam and Eve lays out the pattern, and we follow it to the letter. Before sin, there is no shame; nothing to be ashamed of. Shame follows disobedience. We hide, cover up, blame others, obfuscate. 

It is a sad commentary on our society when we have so little shame. Things that used to make my grandparents blush are now so common we barely even notice. Sins that took place with furtive glances are now openly flaunted. To be shameless is to be unrepentant, and therefore, irredeemable. It is a dangerous place to be.

Psalm 25 begins with a request: “Let me not be ashamed.” This is followed by a prayer of confession and a plea for mercy. the writer recognizes that his sins are shameful, and that his only hope is God’s lovingkindness. There is no self-justification, no excuses, no minimizing his guilt; only the humble hope for forgiveness and the determination to place his trust in God.

Then he waits (v.21). Sometimes the shame takes awhile to dissipate, like the morning mist before the rising sun. The mist is sure to disappear; it cannot resist the power of the sun. Likewise, shame may linger, but it cannot ultimately resist the power of the Son.