Do Not Be Ashamedಮಾದರಿ

Do not be ashamed of your faith

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16)

Jesus was not ashamed to be seen in the company of sinners. But how do you react when you, in your turn, are ridiculed because you belong to Jesus? How do you react when your faith is mocked because you believe that Jesus rose from the dead, that God created the heavens and the earth, and that there is a life after death? Do you stand firm or do you feel ashamed?

Jesus says that some of His followers will be forced to stand before kings and governors to defend their faith. It is not easy to give testimony in such situations! But Jesus assures us that He will give us the wisdom needed to answer any questions and accusations, which none of our adversaries will be able to contradict. He also warns us: “Whoever is ashamed of Me and of My words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when He comes in His glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:26). If you are not ready to pay the price that may come with following Jesus, you won’t share in His glory either.

You may call feelings of shame by other words, such as ‘being self-conscious about speaking up for Christ’ or ‘being timid and resistant to sharing the good news when you feel the prompting of the Spirit’. Do you have such feelings about your faith?