Memory of Shame

I remember very well some of the things I did as a child that were not pleasing to my parents. I remember telling a few white lies that were quickly tangled into a mess, I got caught in them and faced the consequences. O, they weren't major, but they taught me a great lesson. I remember them well. Mom may remember them, too.

But they weren't held against me.

I've done good in my life, too. I helped around the house, learned to dust and clean, mow the yard, help Dad with projects, washing the cars, landscaping, etc. But these don't make me better than my brother or any body else. I remember them, so do my parents.

But they don't put me on a pedestal.

That's how God works, too.

There is no list of good or bad, weighed on a scale to see which one weighs most. This is not the way God works. Rather, God looks at the heart.

Shame is guilt internalized. Repentance is shame's wisdom in action. Right living is faith lived out.

I'm not one who would quote Hollywood stars mainly because they rarely have anything to quote unless it was a line from a movie. But I read a quote that struck me the other day.

There's a lot of hypocrisy sometimes within certain religious groups. And I just wish peole could maybe preach less and act more, you know. That would be nice.
Billy Bob Thorton, Actor

God is looking at both our heart and our action to see how they match.

"I'll judge each of you according to the wy you live. So turn around! Turn your backs on your rebellious living so that sin won't drag you down. Clean house! No more rebellions, please. Get a new heart! Get a new spirit! Why would you choose to die, Israel? I take no pleasure in anyone's death. Decree of God, the Master. "Make a clean break! Live!" (Ezekiel 18:30-32, Msg)

How we live is critical. It's how God lives. "I act[ed] out of who I am, not by what I felt." (Ezek. 20:9, Msg)

Peace ><>
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