How many things do you despise? Foolishness, immorality, or cruelty? How about despising shame? Do you hate shame with a passion, and fight it with every ounce of strength you have, especially pertaining to your spiritual life? If we are to be victorious as a Christian, we must learn how to rid our lives of every ounce of shameful behavior. We will look at Jesus, the ultimate example of a shame-despiser, and discover the secret of His ability to avoid surrendering to his flesh.
The phrase "despising the shame" comes from Hebrews 12:2, which says, "Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." The Greek definition of this word "despise" literally means to scorn or disdain, or to think little of something. When Jesus endured the suffering and pain of dying for our sins and being humiliated as the sinless Son of God, he scorned the shamefulness of his position. He was willing to have His dignity and status lowered to accomplish His task.
This begs the question: what was the secret of His motivation to sacrifice his personal reputation for the sake of His goal? I believe the answer to this question is found in John 6:38-39. Listen closely to the words that Jesus uses in these verses. "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him That sent Me. And this is the Father's will Which hath sent me, that of all which He hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." Now, let's take a look at what Jesus says in John 5:30. "I can of Mine own Self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and My judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father Which hath sent Me." This is a theme that occurs over and over again throughout the book of John. Jesus knew that His purpose on earth was to do His Father's will, even above His own will. This is further revealed through Jesus prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Despite His preferences, He wanted His Father's will to be done more than His personal will.
Now, how can we learn to submit to the will of God with our lives? In order to grasp this fully, we must understand several important concepts. First, God's intentions for our lives as Christians are never detrimental. Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." Second, we learn obedience as Christ did: through suffering. "Though He [Christ] were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered;" (Heb. 5:8) Third, we must always keep our end result in mind. Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus endured the cross for us "for the joy that was set before Him." He valued the eternal rewards of His obedience far more than momentary physical pleasure. Finally, we must remember that we can do nothing apart from Jesus. (John 15:5)
Learning to overcome shame is a task that must be undertaken daily. I write this as an imperfect human who has by no means perfected this principle; yet, by God's grace, I am learning how to live a life of submission to my Master. If you feel that you have failed in this area, don't be discouraged: simply ask God for mercy as well as for the grace to try again. Accept, as your motto, the words of Paul in Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first and also to the Greek." In closing, let us remember the words of Hebrews 11:16, "But now they [God's people] desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for He hath prepared for them a city." If God was not ashamed to be called their God, may we resolve, by God's grace, to never be ashamed to be called one of His children.
