Psalm 25:1-3 To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;
in you I trust, O my God.
Do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
No one whose hope is in you
will ever be put to shame.

It is often said, rightly enough, that Japan has a “shame culture” while the West has a “sin culture.” That’s why it’s so striking that the Bible speaks of both in terms of God’s salvation. David is well known for understanding sin, with many Psalms including this one dealing with the issue. However, sin is transgression against an absolute standard, and doesn’t have an inherent emotional component. Shame, on the other hand, is fundamentally emotional. It is obvious today that people can sin without shame, but it is also true that people can be quite ashamed when there is no actual sin involved. That’s why it’s so important that the Bible deals with both. Often, shame can be a bigger deterrent to wrong action than the idea that it is sinful, which is why it’s important that society in general not condone or even encourage sin, as is happening in the US today. People are doing all they can to remove all shame from activities that are clearly, blatantly against God’s stated rules and standards, just as Paul said in Romans 1:32. You cannot “legislate morality,” as people are fond of saying, but tacit approval of immorality is an affront to God. David’s statement that “No one who waits in hope for You will ever be put to shame” is a very important affirmation. The Bible speaks many times of the righteous being persecuted, but that’s not the same as being ashamed. Indeed, it was the Christians’ joy at being persecuted for Christ that blew the Romans out of the water, and brought the Christians honor in the minds and hearts of the people.

I have sinned at times and not cared, I have sinned and been asham-ed, and I have been ashamed at times for things that were not sinful. I guess I’m pretty typical! One of the deeper joys involved in growing in faith and knowledge of the Lord is having the Holy Spirit sort all of that out. It is a sign of spiritual maturity, as I see it, to care more about whether I have offended God than whether people know about it, but I can’t say I’m totally there yet. Something I need to keep in mind is that often, people notice my sins before I do! That applies particularly to sins of interaction with others, such as looking down on them or speaking hurtful words to them. Ministering in Japan, sometimes I have a hard time helping people understand that things can be wrong even if nobody knows about them. I need the help of the Holy Spirit not just to shed light on my own heart and motives, but also to give me wisdom in helping others also open up to Biblical standards.

Father, Your record of the Garden of Eden in Genesis includes both sin and shame. Help me and those to whom I minister understand both, so that we may walk unashamed in obedience to You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!