Shame and Honor

As per the Holman Dictionary:

{SHAME AND HONOR Sociological studies have increased appreciation for shame and honor as two pivotal values in ancient societies. As a noun, honor approximates our ideas of esteem, respect, (high) regard, or (good) reputation. Shame, the opposite of honor, approximates humiliation or loss of standing. Shame is also used as a euphemism for nakedness (Jer. 13:26; Nah. 3:5; Hab. 2:15). In a similar way, to give honor to private parts is to clothe them (1 Cor. 12:23-24). English preserves this connection between shame and nakedness when we speak of someone’s guilt being exposed. In Jeremiah 2:26, for example, a thief once caught suffers shame, that is, the loss of esteem in the public eye.
To honor is to recognize the value of someone or thing and to act accordingly. Honoring parents (Ex. 20:12), for example, involves providing for their material needs (Matt. 15:4-5) so that their poverty would not be a source of shame. To honor can mean to reward with tangible signs of respect (2 Chron. 16:14; Esth. 6:8-11). To shame someone is to challenge that one’s reputation or to disregard his or her worth. The ancients viewed every human action and interaction as an occasion for either gaining honor, that is, increasing one’s value in the public eye, or for being shamed, that is, having one’s estimation degraded. The desire to maintain one’s honor and to avoid shame or dishonor was a powerful incentive for right action (Job 11:3; Ps. 70:3; Ezek. 43:10). Honor was thought of as a limited good, that is, the amount of available honor was limited. If one lost honor, another had to gain honor (Prov. 5:9).

Those who demonstrate a lack of concern for matters of honor and shame are termed shameless. Having rejected the framework for values, such will do anything (Job. 19:3; Jer. 6:15). Others fail to recognize what is a source of honor and what a source of shame. Those who are ashamed of Christ and His words (Mark 8:32) are shamed by what should give them honor.

The reference to the man and woman in Gen. 2:25 being naked and unashamed likely does not highlight that they were not bashful. Rather, their honor or respect was intact in contrast to the loss of respect they suffered when God made their guilt public (Gen. 3:8-10).

Chris Church}

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This morning, the sky is clear and bright, the sunrise was majestically beautiful, almost like a crisp mountain morning, but we are in the Ohio valley, so there are MANY less stars, but beauty none-the-less. My 3 year old is playing the "drums" with pots and pans and enjoying her breakfast and cartoons! I was blessed with some redemption time with Kt about what the Lord blessed me with this am, on the way to school.

The "storm" has calmed, and peace has snuck in. What a joyous relief. The fear and terror of the "storm" churns and causes a sense of desperation, that just doesn't settle. But, one thing I am learning is that the 'storm' and the unsettledness, is meant to open my eyes to my sin, and REPENT.

My new phrase is: "Instead of asking questions of our trials ~ Our trials are meant to ask questions of ourselves." (Hadassah/Esther~One Night With The King).

And so as I find myself in the despicable quagmire of sin, I ask my self again, "Why do I do this?" . . . and I am gaining understanding and wisdom, but I just can't go back and "change the choices I made or the seeds I've sown," but I can STOP sowing weeds, and start sowing good seed. So, the future harvest will be a good harvest, not destruction.

So, after MUCH tears and time on the floor and squirming around with the ugliness and shame, confession came, and with it forgiveness, and cleansing and guidance. I don't understand it, I just am a party to it. I am not meant to understand the Ways of God, and how He deals with His children, I just know that when I am "anxious, and defensive and focused on someone-else's behavior" He WILL wrestle me to the ground, and let me experience a "bit" of what it could be like without His peace and protection, which naturally freaks me out, and I do what EVER I can to get back into "right relationship" with Him.

He showed me some of the most amazing things this morning. First I don't know how, but I started reading about shame and honor, a paper I had tucked in my sword, then, I somehow (God's mysterious ways) got to Job 18 & 19, where his last friend slams him and then he still trusts in His Lord God Almighty, and the life application went on about "critical people" and the like, and how to "respond" which was ~ can I say "exactly what I needed to read" because it was the complete opposite of what I did. . . :(

"But in reality, the LEAST effective way to respond to criticism is to defend yourself, make excuses, or counterattack . . .

Remind yourself that you are responsible to answer to God and to yourself, NOT to the critical person. Being responsible to God, you look to Him for direction and approval, Being responsible to yourself, you take ownership of your feelings, attitudes, and behavior. If you are aligned with God, and with what He wants you to be, you don't need to fear criticism or try to justify your position. You have the power to make your own choices and grow through the experience of criticism."
~ Amen

Then as I am chowing down on all that, my alarm went off, (The Lord awoken me much earlier than usual) and The Heaven and Home hour comes on, and he is telling me that God know everything that is going on right now and that He allowed it into my life, and I need to praise Him and be Thankful in all situations, including the one I'm in right now, because I cannot see all He is doing and then rattled off these scripts;

Deut 8:16 "who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end--

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Isaiah 45:9 "Woe to him who strives with his Maker!
Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth!
Shall the clay say to him who forms it, 'What are you making?'
Or shall your handiwork say, 'He has no hands'?

2 Peter 1:10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble

1 Thessalonians 5:18
in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Alright then, that should do it.
And with all that, to chew on for days, and weeks and years ~
Bless the Lord oh, my soul, and let me not forget His benefits
k