Selwyn continues his discussion on the emotion of shame. He mentions that there are over ten occasions in the book of Psalms where the psalmist cries out; ‘Do not let me be put to shame.’ He goes on to say: “Another element of shame is the desire to hide from the gaze of others. … There is something about looking into the eyes of others when you feel shame that increases the sense of embarrassment and humiliation. … Shame cause us to flee to a world where it is bad enough to look at ourselves, but even worse to face the gaze of others.”
I think we need to understand that all have fallen short of God’s standards – we all have done something (or neglected a call to provide help and assistance) that caused us to be filled with shame. The first place to go, to seek healing and restoration, is to God. Perhaps, when we approach Him in humility and with the attitude of a servant, we start to see our position in a clearer light. Maybe, it’s our pride which magnifies the feeling of shame – especially when it concerns other people. In a similar way, perhaps it our stubborn independence which hinders our approach to our loving God. Our Father, who is watching out for us as we slowly drag our feet down the path towards Him – could that be the reason why He ‘runs’ to meet us and carries away our fears?
The point I want to emphasise is this: Jesus loves you – He is not a distant God – He is waiting for you, to turn – and to walk towards Him. He will always respond with love to His ‘prodigal’ children!
‘Nobody look at me’
[Part of my - filling in the blanks - series.
]
Selwyn continues his discussion on the emotion of shame. He mentions that there are over ten occasions in the book of Psalms where the psalmist cries out; ‘Do not let me be put to shame.’ He goes on to say: “Another element of shame is the desire to hide from the gaze of others. … There is something about looking into the eyes of others when you feel shame that increases the sense of embarrassment and humiliation. … Shame cause us to flee to a world where it is bad enough to look at ourselves, but even worse to face the gaze of others.”
I think we need to understand that all have fallen short of God’s standards – we all have done something (or neglected a call to provide help and assistance) that caused us to be filled with shame. The first place to go, to seek healing and restoration, is to God. Perhaps, when we approach Him in humility and with the attitude of a servant, we start to see our position in a clearer light. Maybe, it’s our pride which magnifies the feeling of shame – especially when it concerns other people. In a similar way, perhaps it our stubborn independence which hinders our approach to our loving God. Our Father, who is watching out for us as we slowly drag our feet down the path towards Him – could that be the reason why He ‘runs’ to meet us and carries away our fears?
The point I want to emphasise is this: Jesus loves you – He is not a distant God – He is waiting for you, to turn – and to walk towards Him. He will always respond with love to His ‘prodigal’ children!