In the Asian culture I grew up in, being shameless is a cardinal sin. For example, if I have shamed my parents by disobeying them and leaving them (a la prodigal son), then if I were to ever come back to them, they would rightly strike my cheek and say, “How could you be so shameless to come back after what you have done to us?”

What they are really saying is that I do not deserve to be accepted back because of what I have done to them. If I felt any shame (like I should), then I should not dare to ask them to forgive me.

I’m glad God is not Asian!

It is amazing how “shameless” some of the sinners in the Bible were in coming to Jesus. The prime example is the thief on the cross next to Jesus. On the last moment of his life, he says, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42)

What audacity! How shameless! How brazen was he to ask such a thing? He was evil all his life. Harming and hurting many people, possibly destroying families and certainly individual lives. And only when death is certain, he asks Jesus to remember him! At the last possible moment!

This is worse than a foreigner who moves to America at age 65 to collect social security when he hasn’t worked a day in U.S. soil! (Nor has he worked a single day in his own country!)

But God loves it when we audaciously and shamelessly ask God for something we didn’t deserve. Why? Because that would make God’s grace that much more glorious and awesome.

God gets offended when we feel so unworthy and ashamed that we do not dare ask Him to forgive us or be good to us. Why? Because that is saying our unworthiness is greater than God’s greatness. When we feel too ashamed to come to God for His favor, we are underestimating His greatness and overestimating our unworthiness.

You are not so unworthy that God cannot make you worthy! It is sin and pride to think that God cannot forgive YOUR sin.

Focus on God’s greatness rather than your unworthiness.

PH