Do you blush? I know I do,
but then I’ll admit I’m prone to finding myself in embarrassing situations and
often suffer from a good dose of foot-in-mouth disease. Blushing is often seen
as a negative thing. It may signal wrongdoing, or draw attention to our
shortcomings, but I’ve recently discovered several truths about blushing that
has made me think differently about it—even welcome it.
This is how I came to my
blushing epiphany.
Lately, I’ve been praying
for understanding about the growing rifts I have noticed in our western
societies. Whether it is in Australia or the U.S., I feel the intolerances
between the left and right sides of politics are growing, as well as the gap
between city and country. There have been times I’ve wondered if I’m witnessing
the deterioration of godly society’s right before my eyes.
‘Surely not,’ I’ve thought.
‘It’s impossible that such firmly established societies could crumble.’
Then I started reading the
book of Jeremiah.
The book of Jeremiah is
about the very societal demise I have been contemplating. In the time of the
prophet Jeremiah, the elite of society were riddled with pride. This man of God
spent decades tirelessly warning them of their future demise, yet his words
fell on deaf ears. Every facet of society, from kings to priests, denigrated
Jeremiah and his message. Even when disaster fell in the form of invasion and
exile, the false prophets maintained that Jeremiah’s God-given message was
wrong.
I couldn’t help but see
correlations between Jeremiah’s pride-filled society, and my own Western
society. I was especially convinced of the similarities when I came across two
very specific references to blushing:
Are
they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do
not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be
brought down when I punish them,” says the LORD.
Jeremiah 6:15 (NIV)
Are
they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do
not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be
brought down when they are punished, says the LORD. Jeremiah
8:12 (NIV)
These two almost identical
verses so close together encouraged me to contemplate blushing. Who wants to
blush anyway? If we could avoid blushing, we probably would.
So why, in these verses,
does God say He will deal so harshly with those who don’t know how to blush? It
must be important as He repeats it.
I found a fascinating
article about the study of blushing titled: ‘Why blushing may be good for you.’
It is published by the BBC and written by Claudia Hammond. Here is the link:
Essentially it outlines
various studies that reveal the positive effects of blushing. Here is an
extract from the article:
‘Other
research has found that if you blush people are more likely to forgive you, and
it can even avert a conflict. When
you’re trying to work out who to trust, it makes sense to choose the people who
would feel guilty if they did anything wrong. The ideal person to trust is
someone who would blush and give themselves away.’
I deducted that blushing is
a visible sign of acknowledgement of guilt. If we, and everyone around us, know
we are guilty, that could lead to confession and repentance.
If only the elite in
Jeremiah’s society had blushed. Even if just one of them had blushed, maybe
there could have been a flow-on effect. Maybe they would have turned back to
God. How did they get so full of pride that they couldn’t even blush? Not even
when they were proven wrong. Not even when they had been humbled.
This led me to contemplate
the times I had blushed before God. Times when I came to Him embarrassed by my
actions, or cringing over my lack of faith, or trust, or obedience. The red
patches on my cheeks, the heat enflaming my neck, the heavy, sick feeling in my
stomach—all were physical proof of my self-professed guilt. And it was good. It
was positive. My blushing led me to confess my sin, seek forgiveness, and
repent. To ask for His help, His way, and His grace.
I sought to detail my life.
What was in my life, my heart, that caused me to blush now? I asked the Lord to
reveal anything that should be making me blush before Him. I started to see
blushing differently, and discovered I am grateful for it.
Blushing is our body’s
reaction to a spiritual humbling. It reveals the truth of our hearts, even when
our mouths still dare not confess. It covers a multitude of wrongs. It inspires
others to sympathize with us in our embarrassing moments. It brings repentance.
So, dear reader, embrace
your blush. And I challenge you to ask the Lord to reveal the things in your
life, and your heart that should be making you blush before Him. Ask for it.
Invite it. Welcome it. Then blush away.
For
those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves
will be exalted. Matthew 23:12 (NIV)
First seen in Book Fun Magazine:
Rose
was born in North Queensland, Australia. Her childhood experiences growing up
in a small beach community would later provide inspiration for her Resolution
series.
Two of
the three Resolution novels have won Australian CALEB awards. She has also
released The Greenfield Legacy, a collaborative novel highlighting the pain of
Australia’s past policy of forced adoption, as well as standalone novel, Ehvah
After. Her most recent release is A Christmas Resolution, which is part of the
novella box set, An Aussie Summer Christmas.
Her
novels are inspired by the love of her coastal home and her desire to produce
stories that point readers to Jesus. Rose holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, and
resides in Mackay, North Queensland with her husband and son.
Visit Rose at: www.rosedee.com
Thank you for the timely reminder, Rose. 😊
ReplyDeleteHi Deirdre, it's certainly coming from someone who blushes often.
DeleteInteresting!! I guess if you blush easily you have a highly developed sensitivity. Me too!
ReplyDelete