Discussion, Devotional thought of the day:

I came across this concept, this description of a characteristic of the faith a few times recently. Here is the original:

” Holy shamelessness is characteristic of the life of childhood. A little child doesn’t worry about anything. He makes no effort to hide his weaknesses, his natural weaknesses, even though everyone is watching him. Shamelessness, carried to the supernatural life, suggests this train of reasoning: praise, contempt; admiration, scorn; honor, dishonor; health, illness; riches, poverty; beauty, ugliness …Well, all right, does it matter?”    Escriva, Josemaria

I find this thought somewhat deeper than it looks at first.  Shamelessness is the kind of attitude that we think means we don’t care about what we’ve done, we simply live in the moment without thinking of consequences.  Is that the kind of characteristic we should show the world?

in a real supernatural sense I believe we should.  YOu see, if we truly trust that Jesus Christ has justified us, that He can and does deal with our sin and all the unrighteousness in our lives, then according to Him, there is nothing to be ashamed of – we are cleanse, justified, righteous, and we can – with a child like faith, go about the day, trying to please the One who loves us.

It is when we allow our lives to be manipulated by what may appear shameful, when we are concerned with what others think of our behavior – then we have lost the freedom Christ gives.  When we are bound by fears and anxieties of what others will think – our focus has gone astray, and we aren’t thinking like children of God.  We  will realize, that we have bought into something that isn’t shameless – but shameful.

And then – cry Lord have mercy, know He has – and walk away, skip away and worship the One who has freed you!