Category Archives: Shame

Appetite, Bible, Destruction, Hungry, Scripture, Shame

HUNGRY FOR THE WRONG THINGS

PHILIPPIANS 3:19

“whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who have their minds on earthly things.”

Our stomachs will tell us when it’s time to eat, if we will listen. Unfortunately, many of us eat even when we are not hungry. We eat out of habit or just because it’s “time” to eat. Some of us eat to comfort ourselves. Others don’t eat to lose weight or maybe even to fast for a period of time. We just can’t allow our bellies to guide our decisions all the time, can we?

Paul uses the imagery of the belly in today’s verse. The word “appetite” can also be translated as stomach, belly or even womb. These enemies of the cross whom Paul is referring to are only concerned about themselves. Paul says they will be destroyed, that they glory in their shame and that they only think about worldly things. What a sad bunch of people!

APPLICATION

But before we start chunking rocks at these people, we need to examine our own appetites. Paul isn’t telling us to watch what we eat. He is telling us to stop being concerned about self-gratifications or self-indulgences. When we do that, our eyes are off what is important. Our appetite should be for the things of God. We should devour the Word, not the world. Psalm 119:103 tells us, “How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” We should hunger for righteousness, not just to be right. Jesus told us in Matthew 5:6, “‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.’”

When Paul says these enemies glory in their shame, I am reminded of people today who flaunt their ungodly lifestyles and try to force us to normalize it. They take pride in living lives that go contrary to God’s Word and the natural order of things. We are made to feel ashamed because we don’t agree with them. Never! We have to stand for the Cross. We have to stand for righteousness. Paul says in Ephesian 5:12, “for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.”

We are told over and over in Scripture to set our minds on things above, not on things below (Colossians 3:2). We should live our days with an eternal perspective, always looking for Jesus and pointing others towards Him. When we look for earthly fame or honor, it is fleeting. All glory belongs to Him, not us. So, today examine your appetite. Examine your mindset. Where is it focused?

Lord, my God, You are the center of my thoughts and actions today. Let me live so that everything I do points others to You.

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Bible, Disgraceful, Evil, Scripture, Shame

DISGRACEFUL SPEECH

EPHESIANS 5:12

“for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.”

There are some things you just don’t talk about. Some say you should never discuss politics or religion at family gatherings. I am not sure I agree with that, but there are other things that are off limits. For instance, you may know of something really bad someone has done. Should you bring that up to others? Should you discuss immoral activities in the world publicly?

Paul tells us in today’s verse it is “disgraceful” to talk about such things. The Greek word translated as “disgraceful” only occurs four times in the New Testament. Two times it refers to women not cutting their hair or not speaking in church. The other time it is talking about dishonest money. The word means shameful, sordid or improper.

APPLICATION

Paul is the only author who uses this Greek word all four times. But he only uses it to address speech once – right here in today’s verse. All these negative behaviors he has been talking about in this chapter are off limits. But it’s not just in not doing them. He tells the Ephesians to not even talk about them.

You have to remember that a lot of these things Paul has been talking about came out of the pagan worship of Ephesus. They were vile and horrible practices that should not even been mentioned any more. We have some of those same practices in our world today. Missionaries in some countries report demonic rituals and activities in the local idol temples. We don’t talk about these things because we do not want these things on our mind.

I am reminded of Colossians 3:2 which says, “Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth.” Our thoughts should be towards heaven, not on these pagan activities. Clear your mind and mouth of such things. Concentrate on His Word and His Spirit. Let those things drive your speech.

Father, keep my mouth full of Your words so that I can encourage others.

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Appointed, Bible, Promises, Scripture, Service, Shame

APPOINTMENT

ZEPHANIAH 3:19

“‘Behold, I am going to deal at that time with all your oppressors; I will save those who limp and gather the scattered, and I will turn their shame into praise and fame in all the earth.’”

Every election cycle in the U.S., changes occur. New appointments are made by the President. He names Cabinet members, Ambassadors and other staff members. Those appointments carry with them the power of their office. This person may have never served in such a high position. But now they have been recognized and placed in service.

The Lord says in today’s verse that He “will turn their shame into praise and fame.” That can also be translated as He appointed them. He raised them up. He put meaning into their lives. The lame and scattered will be brought together by Him and made famous in all the earth. Wow! What an incredible promise!

APPLICATION

What has the Lord appointed you to do? For what purpose has He lifted you up? A passage just popped into my head. They are some of my memory verses. Galatians 6:9-10 reads, “9 Let’s not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary. 10 So then, while we have opportunity, let’s do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.” Is this why He has saved you?

If you are a believer, God has appointed you. He has called you, not only to receive salvation, but to also use that gift to bless others. You have heard it said that our faith is personal, but it is not private. We are appointed to share it. We have been placed in our positions in Christ for a purpose. We are not saved to just wait on eternity.

So, what are you doing with your appointment? All that shame that weighed you down before has been washed away by the blood of Christ. He wants to use you for kingdom work. What are you waiting on? Ask the Lord what He is up to and then get involved in it. Make your appointment as one of His children count for something.

Lord, I am so thankful for salvation. Now, use me as You see fit.

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Abiding, Bible, Forgiveness, Repentance, Salvation, Scripture, Shame

NO SHAME

ZEPHANIAH 3:11

“‘On that day you will feel no shame because of all your deeds by which you have rebelled against Me; for then I will remove from your midst your proud, arrogant ones, and you will never again be haughty on My holy mountain.

Carl Willis, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. Boy, I heard that a lot growing up. Either my mom or a teacher was always getting on to me for my behavior. I was just a mischievous boy. Did I feel ashamed? Well, sometimes I was but most of the time I wasn’t. I didn’t do horrible things, but they were not nice either.

The Lord is telling His people in verse 11 that they felt no shame. Why? Because they did not think about the consequences of their actions. They certainly found out. God says He was going to remove the proud, arrogant and haughty people. They had no right to be on His holy mountain. They would be judged by the God of heaven.

APPLICATION

Shame! Does God shame us? Well, His Word should cause us to be ashamed. Why? Because none of us are sinless. Romans 3:23 says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We should feel shame when we dishonor God and His commandments. It’s that disgrace that drives us to repentance. Even once we are saved, the Holy Spirit will use that to lead us to confession of the sins we commit.

So, shame in and of itself is not a bad thing. However, the devil will take that shame (if unconfessed) and whisper that we are not worthy of God’s forgiveness. That shame then grows and leads us to an even darker place. Shame that does not lead to repentance is not of God. God always wants to reconcile us back to Himself, never further away.

The closer I get to the Lord, the more aware I am of my sin. It’s like the Holy Spirit in me is blaring warnings at 110 decibels. The Word which is implanted in me drives me to confession. We must help those without Christ to hear Him speaking to them drawing them to Himself. Don’t let their shame consume them. Give them the antidote.

I am so thankful I know where to unload my shame. I am so glad I can come to You with a repentant spirit and receive a cleansing.

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Affection, Affliction, Bible, Comfort, Confession, Disciplemaking, Holy Spirit, Obedience, Scripture, Shame

ASHAMED

HOSEA 10:6

“The thing itself will be brought to Assyria as a gift of tribute to King Jareb; Ephraim will be seized with shame, and Israel will be ashamed of its own plan.”

I can remember as a child getting caught doing something wrong (we won’t go into exactly what that was, lol) and feeling shame. I was ashamed because I knew the right thing to do but chose the wrong thing. Hanging my head and not making eye contact. Hearing my mom or dad say how disappointed they were in my decision. Shame is not something you want to hang on to.

Ephraim was ashamed. Israel was ashamed. They knew what God expected but chose to go their own way. When what they loved (idols and pagan altars) was carried away with them into exile, then they felt the shame of their sin.

APPLICATION

Shame can be a great motivator to return to the Lord. Now, we can’t stay there. Once we have confessed our sin and made things right with the Lord, He does not want us to wallow in our shame. We have been made clean. There is no reason to stay in shame or guilt. Have you done that?

Many people feel so ashamed that they don’t think the Lord can forgive them. They think their sins are too big. We have to let them know just how big our God is. He can forgive whatever they have done. All they have to do is come to Jesus. They just have to confess Him as Lord and Savior and believe in His name. We have to give them that message.

I am so thankful that the Holy Spirit convicts me of my sins. He won’t let me get away anything. The moment I sin He is in my business reminding me that I am a child of God and sin has no place in my life. Am I perfect? Not in any way. But I have a perfect Savior who pushes me to live holy. How about you?

Thank You, Lord, for saving my soul. Thank You, Lord, for making me whole. Thank You, Lord, for giving to me Thy great salvation so rich and free.

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Abiding, Accountability, Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Choices, Commands, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Exhortation, Faithfulness, Following, Hypocrisy, Mentoring, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Righteousness, Scripture, Self-control, Shame, Testimony

ASHAMED

1 JOHN 2:28

“Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.”

Have you ever been caught red-handed doing something you knew was wrong? Don’t answer that, lol. Well, I have. I won’t go into details, but let’s just say I will never forget it. My dad caught me one night up town doing some stuff I shouldn’t have been doing. He was not a happy camper, to say the least. And it wasn’t just that I was in trouble. I could see the disappointment on his face.

That’s what John is talking about in today’s verse. We need to stay close to Christ daily and walk with Him. So, when He appears (and it could be any day), we aren’t caught off guard and feel ashamed at what He finds us doing. That doesn’t mean we have to be in a perpetual kneeling position with our hands folded in prayer. But we should be about His business.

APPLICATION

Okay, you are going to catch your children doing stuff. Our granddaughter was caught recently coloring on the walls downstairs. She thought her masterpiece was so beautiful until she found out that was a no-no. I am not sure she felt ashamed, but she soon realized this was not acceptable. Your children are going to do stuff and get caught, too.

That is a perfect time to read them this verse. Unlike you, God sees all. There is nowhere they can hide to do things He won’t know about. This is especially important as they get older and spend more and more time out of your sight. They need to know God is aware. He is not waiting to zap them, but He is watching. We want them to please Him in their actions and decisions.

What are you sneaking around doing right now? Anything? Don’t be doing those things. Stop it. You are not fooling God. He knows. He wants you to walk hand in hand with Him all the time. If you are doing that, there is no room for mischief. Right?

I want to honor You, Lord, in all my steps. Help me make the decisions daily that bring You glory. Forgive me when I fail You.

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Advice, Affliction, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Deceit, Devil, Encouragement, Evil, Greed, Mentoring, Parenting, Persecution, Satan, Scripture, Shame

DON’T BE BAITED

2 PETER 2:14

“having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children;”

Anyone who knows me knows I love to fish and hunt. Heck, I just love the outdoors. If you want to catch fish, you have to know what they are eating. Their menu changes with the seasons and conditions of the water. Use the wrong bait, and you won’t catch much. Use the right bait, and you have a better chance of catching fish that day.

The Greek word translated as “enticing” is exactly that word – bait. It’s only used three times in the New Testament. It’s used twice here in 2 Peter (2:14 and 2:18) and in James 1:14. All three times it used in a negative context. Bait hides the hook. Bait lures us into traps. But catch what Peter says. They entice “unstable souls.” This literally means people who don’t have a staff to lean on. They are ungrounded, unsteady, not dependable.

APPLICATION

So, how do we protect ourselves against being baited? How do we protect our kids? We get grounded in the Word. When we are in the Word daily and seeking God’s face, we can easily recognize those baited hooks. We can see the traps that are being laid for us. We have to be alert at all times, though, because the devil can get very creative.

What does that mean? The devil won’t come at you or your children the same way every time. He knows we can “wise up” and see him coming. So, he will disguise his traps. They may even look okay. Ask yourself and teach your kids to ask themselves one question. Will this action I am about to take bring glory to God. If the answer is “no” or “I’m not sure,” run as fast as you can. Back up and take a hard look. Don’t be baited.

Have you fallen for the bait and now you sit there with a hook in your mouth? You may feel shame and regret. Listen! Turn to Jesus. He is the ultimate hook remover. He can forgive you and set you back on the right path. You may have a scar from that hook mark, but it will serve to remind you, not of your sin, but of the forgiving power of Jesus. Amen?

Forgive me, Father, for falling victim to Satan’s lures. Keep my eyes on You. I know You will never lead me toward defeat.

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Advice, Affection, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Comfort, Denial, Encouragement, Faith, Following, Forgiveness, Inspirational, Love, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Scripture, Shame, Testimony

THAT LOOK

LUKE 22:61-62

“61 The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, ‘Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.’ 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.”

My dad had “that look.” Words were not necessary. I knew I was in trouble when I got that look. Peter got “the look” from Jesus, but it wasn’t a look of coming discipline. It was more of “I told you so.” He had told Peter he would deny him, and so it happened.

It’s interesting that only Luke records this “look.” Who told Luke about this? I have to believe it was Peter himself. I bet he never forgot that look, although Jesus forgave him and restored him to leadership. That look pierced his soul.

APPLICATION

Ask your children if you have “that look.” I bet they say you do. You may not even be aware of the look, but we parents tend to develop it. It can come in real handy when you need to correct your child when they are across a room. They understand the look sometimes much better than words.

But don’t forget to restore them. Jesus didn’t leave Peter hanging with that look. He came to him after His resurrection and let Peter know He had faith in him. Our children need to know our love isn’t diminished due our disappointment in their behaviors. Our love is unconditional.

Have you received “that look” from Jesus? Jesus loves us enough to correct us, but His love is lessened. When you get “that look” immediately confess whatever it is you need to confess. Let His look do its work.

When You look at me, Jesus, I know it is with love. Help me to confess quickly and often. The last thing I want to do is disappoint You.

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Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Confession, Denial, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Following, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Service, Shame, Trust, Witnessing

PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE

MARK 16:7

“’But go, tell His disciples and Peter, “He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.”’” 

Oh boy, do I remember those days. I was quite the class clown and got sent to see the principal on numerous occasions. I wasn’t mean. I just loved making people laugh. Let’s just say the principal knew me well. His paddle did too.

I don’t know what the disciples were thinking when they heard these words from the women. But I bet Peter was thinking Oh no! What will I say? I just denied Him three times just as He said. Will He tell the others? Peter probably felt embarrassed and a little scared.

APPLICATION

Your child will probably do something that cause them to feel like I did. They, hopefully, won’t deny Jesus like Peter. But being ashamed is hard. When you have to deal with them, use this passage. Ask them how they think Peter felt. Ask them what they think happened when Jesus finally saw Peter.

Skip ahead and read that passage in John 21. Your children need to see how Jesus restored Peter to his leadership role. If hadn’t done that, Peter may have spent the rest of his life in deep grief and sorry. Jesus restored him because had just spent three years preparing him to accomplish his mission to a lost world.

What has Jesus been preparing you for? Will you let him use you? You may have unconfessed sins that are holding you back from being fully utilized by Him. Confess them today. Let Jesus use you to accomplish His mission. He still uses us. Let Him have you.

Take my life and use it, Lord. I ask You to forgive me and cleanse me now so there is nothing in me that could thwart Your mission.

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Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Confession, Denial, Encouragement, Faith, Faithfulness, Following, Forgiveness, Grace, Inspirational, Mentoring, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Rejection, Repentance, Scripture, Shame

FAILURE

MATTHEW 26:74-75

“74 Then he began to curse and swear, ‘I do not know the man!’ And immediately a rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, ‘Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly.”

Epic fail! Peter realized immediately when he heard that rooster crow that he had failed his Master. He probably wanted to throw up. Can you imagine the thoughts that ran through his mind? This wasn’t a minor fail. He had denied Jesus threw times, just as Jesus predicted.

How many times have you failed our Lord? You’ve been told to do something, but you don’t. You know He placed someone on your heart to call or go see and you don’t. He places someone in your path to witness to and you walk away without doing it. Fail!

APPLICATION

Children are going to have failures. That’s part of learning and growing. I believe they can learn more from failures than successes if we help them. If we don’t, those failures can crush them. Losing can build character. Failing can do the same. You need to ask them what went wrong. How could have they prevented the failure?

They are also going to fail God. Tell them an experience you’ve had. They need to know you can relate. And then tell them how the Lord forgave you and showed mercy. They need to hear that. Read them this passage in Matthew and then skip ahead and read how Jesus forgave him after He resurrected.

Are you still living in failure? Take it to Jesus. He can forgive. Don’t put that confession off. It won’t go away. We have the God of the universe waiting for us to talk to Him. He wants to forgive. He wants to talk to us. Don’t make Him wait. Right now, bend your knee and ask for forgiveness for that failure. He’s ready to forgive.

I ask You to forgive me today for the many times I have failed You, Lord. Cleanse me and make me right in Your eyes. Show me how to be more obedient today.

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