Shame has gone out of fashion in parts of our culture. Internalizing too much shame is bad for anyone, but the fact that people parade around some of our cities without clothes seems to call for a touch of shame. No one needs to see that.

David prayed, knowing his potential to shame the good name of the Lord:

You, God, know my folly; my guilt is not hidden from you. Lord, the Lord Almighty, may those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me; God of Israel may those who seek you not be put to shame because of me.

Like David, I pray that my words and actions as a follower of Jesus and a religious missionary worker do not bring shame to the gospel. I carry the potential, the folly in my heart, to turn people away from the good news of Jesus. We see it often, and the Lord hates such hypocrisy.

David’s prayer is a warning for all of us who profess a strong commitment to the Lord. I also need to pray, Heavenly Father, keep me from harming someone else’s relationship with you.

I heard Dr. Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, ask the Lord to take him home before he did something to disgrace his Savior. David shares a similar sentiment, and it’s a sobering thought for me to wrestle with as well.

Psalm 69 in reading the Bible in 2023

Photo by Goh Rhy Yan