Title
Being Ashamed Is Hazardous To Your Health
Scripture
Whoever is ashamed of Me and my words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory...
(Luke 9:26)
Devotional
I truly doubt that any of us are cognitively ashamed of Christ. If asked, we would confess our faith in Christ. However, how long do people have to know us before they see that there is something different about us? Do we keep our faith in Christ hidden so well that others have to search out our lives to know whether or not we are believers? Do you find yourself ashamed to pray openly in public? You pray over your dinner at home with your family, but how about those business luncheons? I have a motto when dining with others, “When I pay I pray, if you pay, I request to pray.” Therefore, I do my best to pay. An expression I like to use to ease a non-believer is, “Eating unblessed food may be hazardous to your health.” Instead of being uncomfortable with your faith in Christ, look for opportunities to share it. I would much rather be a little embarrassed sharing Christ now than to stand before Him embarrassed because I did not.
Thought For The Night
“Many believers are ‘rabbit hole’ Christians. In the morning they pop out of their safe Christian homes, hold their breath at work, scurry home to their families and then off to their Bible studies, and finally end the day praying for the unbelievers they safely avoided all day.” Jan Johnson in Moody Monthly (Nov. 1987).
Evening Text
Luke 9:26: “Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory…”
Looking for Answers
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When would God ever be ashamed of you?
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Why do believers often act as if they are ashamed of being Christians?
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Are you embarrassed to pray in public, carry a Bible, etc?
Evening Study Guide
Defining: There are obviously at least two kinds of “shame”: passive and aggressive. “Aggressive” shame is that open rebellion and rejection of Christ and His Word. “Passive” shame is not so cognitive. It is not so much as being ashamed of Christ as it is of being rejected by man.
Referencing: “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes,” Romans 1:16.
Applying: Do not be afraid of being challenged for, or because of, your faith in Christ. All you may need is a one verse answer: “I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day,” 2 Timothy 1:12.