A Heart Deceived

2 Timothy 1:8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

Rather than feeling ashamed for the gospel, Paul urges Timothy press on past those wrong feelings and join the fight. It’s a simple command – don’t be ashamed. Shame is an emotion and our emotions are not infallible, and that’s why they make terrible guides. I’m a Christian, not a stoic, so I don’t believe humans should act like emotionless droids, but I know you should not be ruled by your emotions. If you feel shame, the first thing you need to do is ask yourself why? Have you committed a sin against God, according to Scripture? Have you done something or left something undone which smote your conscience? Then shame has done a worthy work in your life, and now repent and find forgiveness in the blood of Christ. But, if you feel shame, and have done nothing wrong (according to the Bible, not according to your feelings), then you know your emotions deceived you. The best course of action, after you have determined your heart has deceived you, is to not be ashamed anymore. 

Sitting on the fence or trying to play both sides will make you awfully uncomfortable and practically useless in the work. Wanting to serve the Lord, but not wanting to offend the world will make you ineffective for God’s work, and undesirable to the world you want to think highly of you. The best way to overcome the fearful timidity Timothy had is to jump in the fight and be all in for Christ. If you give in to the wrong emotion of shame of the gospel, you are feeding this bad emotion and making it stronger. President John Quincy Adams wrote, "Highly as I reverenced the authority of my constituents...I would have defended their interests against their inclinations, and incurred every possible addition to their resentment, to save them from the vassalage of their own delusions." A Christian should rather stand for truth and be hated for it than to go along with a lie and live in peace. What good is a man of God whose only goal is favor with the world? What worth is a preacher who will only tell you pleasant things? What value is there in a witness for Christ being afraid to take the stand? And, what do you gain by not taking criticism from the world who hates your Lord? There isn’t really an upside. Some of the most miserable people I’ve ever known were backslidden Christians. They couldn’t enjoy their rebellion because they were God’s people and He wouldn’t let them and they couldn’t recreate the joy of the Lord out in the world. They were double losers because of what they gained in the world made them miserable and what they lost in fellowship with Christ made them desolate.