Having Heart In A Sometimes Heartless World
Day 159 - Biblical Shame
Scripture focus: "I don't think the way you think. The way you work isn't the way I work." God's decree. Isaiah 55:8 The Message
Last Sunday we had a new baby show up for our Celebration Service (with her parents). We loved cooing and oohing over her perfect little toes and tiny little fingers. Truly, her grandparents have not exaggerated, she is the most beautiful baby I've ever seen (and this record may last until I become a grandma). I was smiling in remembrance at the crowd gathered to adore her. I wonder - does she feel like a goddess? She's a bit young to distinguish between The God and feeling like a god. But truly, her worldview must include quite a sense of power. She sits on her little throne and we worship her! (You would join us in this activity if you saw her!) Someday, she's going to encounter a different reality.)
Wilson's second category of shame is biblical. At NorthStar Community, we talk about biblical shame often. In Ecclesiastes, it says that God planted a piece of eternity in our hearts, and we can't fathom what God has done. Intuitively, we believe that we were created for grand epic adventures (that little piece of eternity crying out for expression) but compared to God, who are we? We feel puny in comparison! We don't want to be puny. In fact, we'd prefer to be God! It's a hard truth to realize that there is indeed a God - and we didn't get the job.
In the book of Corinthians, it speaks of our "ever-increasing glory." It's true, God created us with intentions for us to become vessels that act as human holding tanks for the glory of God. We're created to reflect God's glory - but this is a bestowed gift of glory, not an inherent quality. We love glory! But we chaff under the sobering reality that this glory is a gift from God - and apart from him we can do nothing. Biblical shame is that intuitive awareness that we were created for greatness paired with our very human desire to be great independently of God.
Time on planet earth has a way of eroding our confidence in our own ability to sparkle like a star. Sensible people soon realize that it's easier to feel separated from God than connected to Him. Even those who desire to be desperately devoted followers of him face a harsh reality - we are different and less than God. Where do we go from here? People generally pick two paths: we deny that we are less than God and work hard to shine like stars independently of him OR we get so discouraged by our own propensity to tarnish that we falsely conclude that we will never become our true, God-created identity.
There is, however, a third path. Biblical shame is best handled with regular doses of truth, grace and mercy. Biblical shame cries out at the disparity between our production and our potential - but it knows who to cry to! We run to God, aware that it is he who makes us both willing and able to do his good, pleasing and perfect will. Big hearted believers work on developing the spiritual muscle of trust - not in themselves, but in God - the God who is and will. Our "less than" status isn't a condemnation - it's a promise - a promise from God who tells us that he will provide everything we need to live the abundant life. Our creatureliness is an invitation to the heavenly potter to do that thing he does - transform humans into glorious creatures who express his nature in super-human ways. May God have his way with you today!
Recommended reading: 1 Kings 1 in the morning; Acts 4 and Psalm 123 in the evening
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