How to prevent being ashamed of Jesus
Shame is a strong feeling that can burden individuals and make them feel unworthy and alone. In the days when Jesus ministered on this earth as a poor and humble preacher, He identified this problem of ‘being ashamed of Christ’ to His disciples and the rest of the world. When people feel ashamed of Jesus, it usually comes from a fear of being judged or criticized by others. This fear can make them hesitate to express their faith openly, leading to inner conflict and distress. Here are some ways to overcome feeling ashamed of Jesus:
1. Acknowledging the problem
To address feeling ashamed of Jesus, the first step you need to take is recognizing and acknowledging that you have such a problem that must be dealt with. There is an old saying that “a problem well stated is a problem half solved”. Once you have been able to label ‘feeling ashamed of Jesus’ as a problem in your life, you can start moving towards overcoming it. It is important to understand that feeling ashamed of Jesus is a spiritual offense that requires repentance, prayer for God’s forgiveness, and strength to overcome it (Luke 9:26; Mark 8:38; Ro 1:16).
2. Identify the source of it
After having recognised ‘feeling ashamed of Jesus’ as your problem, take a moment to reflect on the situations where you might have felt ashamed of Jesus. Scan your life and answer questions about when and where you feel ashamed of Jesus. Do you feel ashamed of Jesus because of some negative worldly view about Him? Then embrace the idea that your faith in Jesus is a personal journey, and the opinions of others (family, friends, colleagues, the world) should not diminish its significance (Ga 1:10). Do you feel ashamed of Jesus because of your own pride? Do you think you are too learned, rich, powerful, or advanced that Jesus is not worthy of you? Then remember that you are mere dust made alive by the breath of God (Ge 2:7; Ec 12:7). Therefore, under no circumstance should you feel ashamed of Christ.
3. Embracing your identity in Jesus
Having identified the sources of your feeling ashamed of Jesus, which normally turns out to be a combination of external views and internal pride, shift your focus now to embracing your identity in Jesus. Being a believer in Jesus, you are regarded as Jesus’ friend (John 15:15), Jesus’ sibling (Heb 2:11), God’s child (Ro 8:16; Ga 3:26), God’s heir (Ro 8:17; Ga 4:7), and many more. Embracing these spiritual elevations can help deal with the feeling of being ashamed of Jesus. Put great value on the relationship you have with Jesus and acknowledge that your faith is an integral part of your identity. By doing so, you can begin to relieve yourself of the burden of shame and confidently express your beliefs.
4. Grow your faith in Christ
You do come to the point of feeling ashamed of Jesus when your faith and relationship with God are faint and slowly dying. In other words, feeling ashamed of Jesus is a sign that you are drifting away from God and you are dying spiritually (Heb 2:1; Re 3:1-2). Therefore, while embracing your identity in Christ, begin to do the things that grow your faith and get you closer to God, which are effective daily Bible studies (2Ti 2:15), praying (1Th 5:17), fasting (Mt 6:16-18), and fellowshiping with other Christians (Heb 10:24-25). Jesus Christ will mean a lot to you once you begin these spiritual exercises.
5. Understanding what it means to be a Christian
Be sure of what you are doing. Have you really decided to follow Jesus? Jesus Christ is not looking for fans but die-hard followers willing to confess him as their Lord and Savior and even die for him if necessary (Philippians 1:20-21; Re 12:11). Do you regard yourself as the type of person Jesus seeks? If you are, then be sure to live up to it by identifying with Him. It is written:
- Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24 NKJV)
- And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. (Matthew 10:38 NKJV)
6. Joining a supportive community
Building a relationship with like-minded individuals who share your faith can provide valuable support. This can be done through, first, fellowshipping with the church, where you will experience a sense of belonging to Christ (Acts 2:42, 46-47). Second, surrounding yourself with friends who are proud of their Christian identity and who encourage open discussions about faith and spirituality can help alleviate or completely eliminate the feeling of being ashamed of Jesus (Pr 27:17; 1Th 5:11). Remember, you are not alone in your Christian journey, and finding a supportive faith community can empower you to embrace your faith in Christ with confidence.
7. Pursue holiness
Jesus Christ walked this earth without sinning; even demons knew and testified about His holiness and righteousness (Mark 1:23-24; Heb 4:15; 1Pe 2:22). Hence, it becomes hard and almost impossible for a person with weak morals to claim that he is a follower of Jesus. A life of immorality would inevitably deny you the ability to identify with Jesus, and it would strip you of the confidence to claim that you are His follower (1Jo 3:6-9; Eph 5:3-4). Pursuing holiness is a deliberate exercise to follow biblical teachings that will automatically transform you to resemble Jesus to the glory of God (Ro 12:1-2; 1Pe 1:15-16). In holiness, you would have the boldness to publicly own Christ.
Conclusion
Feeling ashamed of Jesus is a big problem in today’s Christianity, and many Christians are grappling with the problem. For those of us who are grappling with this problem, it would be better to admit it and deal with it than to ignore it and ruin our relationship with God. Overcoming shame associated with Jesus involves a journey that requires you to shift your attention from public opinion, respect your decision to follow Jesus, and value your relationship with him, remembering that your relationship with Jesus is a personal journey that should be nurtured without reservation or shame (2Ti 1:7-8).