When Embarrassment Sets In

Are there times in your life that makes you embarrass every time you remember it? I also have that too. A lot. There are times that remembering embarrassing moments make me just want to stay inside my room and not go out because I think that I do not have a face to show anymore to others because of my embarrassing moments.

What do I do when embarrassment sets in? I acknowledge first that those happenings were really embarrassing. Acknowledging embarrassment, and feeling it, reminds me that I am a flawed sinner. But praise God that I have hope amid embarrassment. I have Jesus who meets me even in the middle of my embarrassment. Jesus does not just wait for me to come to Him but as my loving Shepherd, He leaves the ninety-nine and finds me his embarrassed sheep time and time again. He carries me on His shoulders and always brings me back to His fold. He reminds me that my heavenly Father has eternally accepted me because I am judged not based on my embarrassing moments but on the perfect, spotless performance of Christ. This is my hope. This is where I stand.

We forget that we are not judged by our performance but by the perfect performance of Another. No amount of embarrassing moments in our lives could separate us from the love of God in Christ. Let us always remember and gaze upon Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, every time we recall those embarrassing moments. Knowing that we could come out of hiding from embarrassment because Christ has lived, died, and resurrected so that we could be free from shame that is caused by embarrassment.

One of the means of grace that Christ has purchased for us with his precious blood is the grace to be a part of the family of God. Surrounding ourselves with brothers and sisters who overlook our embarrassing moments and shower us with the same kind of love that they have received from Christ has also helped me in this struggle. Believers in the faith accept us despite of us because they have also been accepted by God despite of them. The love that we have received from God alters our lives dramatically because it frees us from seeking validation from people since we are already infinitely valued by the One who truly matters. It also causes us to share this amazing love with others who desperately need it for them to get an imperfect glimpse of God’s love for them through us.

The daily dose of grace that we constantly need is to be soaked in the word of God and in prayer. This is also a proven help in battling embarrassing thoughts. Through God’s word, we are reminded of the God who is so much bigger than our embarrassing moments; the God who is in complete control over our cringe-worthy experiences. Through prayer, we can lay all our burdens, anxieties, and struggles in the hands of our loving Father who alone has the answer for all of it. He will sustain us, strengthen us, and supply every grace we need.

Reality of Death

I just heard the news today of a workmate who just died. People at the office were really shocked of what happened. We were not expecting it because we just thought that it was fever. When the news arrived after more than a week of her leave of absence, people who received the news were so shocked and deeply troubled for the unexpected news.

My heart is really hurt of what happened. It seems like there is a hole in it. It s really different when someone you know or you have been in touched with died. We were like workmates for more than a year so there was somehow a relationship between the two of us.

As a Christian, I believe that if a person dies, that person will be in God’s presence or not, in heaven or in hell. If one has received Jesus as Lord and Savior, that person will go to the presence of His Savior. For the Christian, death is just a welcoming home in the arms of our loving Father in heaven.

As far as I know, I really am not sure if my workmate has truly received Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. This is what break my heart the most. This is what made me unfocused today. In spite of the time I spent with her, I was not intentional in sharing the gospel to her. I failed my job as a watchman to warn her about the wrath of God for our sins and the amazing gospel that saves us from it.

As I received the news, the reality of death dawned on me once again. Death is just an evidence of the reality of sin. When sin entered the world, death entered as well. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden, God cautioned them that the consequence is death. Spiritual and physical death are sin’s consequence. We don’t just die physically, our spirit has also died because of sin. (Eph 2:1) And this physically and spiritually dead nature is passed on to everyone. Hence, the universality of death. It is only through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ alone that we would experience future physical resurrection and spiritual life through faith in Him.

I can’t imagine her standing before the judgment seat of God taking account of what she did with her life and her sins apart from the sin-bearing death and righteousness-imputing life of Christ. This is what caused me to feel so awful about it because I had all the chance and opportunity but I failed to share the reality that there is hope in the gospel. I just hope that someone in her life who know about Jesus has shared Him to her.

Let us not wait before it’s too late. If we truly love the people around us, let us share the most important reality and solution in this world – the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let us make the most of every opportunity because we don’t know when they will die. May the reality of sin, death, judgment of God, heaven, hell, and salvation in Christ become deeply-rooted convictions in our hearts that we would be propelled in leading as many souls to Jesus than ever because our time here on earth is short as a vapor.

Let us not wait for another close one to die without us sharing the gospel. Every day is an opportunity to live a good witness for Christ, establish relationship, pray for doors for the gospel, and share the gospel of Jesus. May we live what we believe. We live with urgency because of the reality of unexpected death because death is always unexpected. It’s just in the perspective of God that it is planned.

If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. (Psalm 130:3-4)

No one will be able to stand before God when God will hold us accountable of our wrongdoings. It is only in Christ, that forgiveness is offered and that we could have right standing before God through Christ’s righteousness.

As I end this blogpost, may we ask God in prayer to provide comfort for her grieving family and friends.