Spiraling In
Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame. 1 Corinthians 15:34 NASB
Shame – You might find it surprising that the Greek word Paul uses for “shame” is entrope. We have a derivative of this Greek word in modern physics. Entropy is the quantity of thermal energy that is not able to be converted into mechanical work. In other words, entropy is the amount of disorder in a system. It is the heat death spiral of the universe, the gradual decline into chaos. If we apply this physics definition to the original Greek word, we find something quite interesting. Shame can be considered as the decline into disorder.
The word itself is composed of two other Greek words. Both add to our understanding. They literally mean, “turning in” or “inverting.” Is this revealing? Is shame somehow connected to a turn inwardly?
In Paul’s Hebraic Greek world, shame is a public concept. It is not essentially an inner psychological state. It is the loss of reputation and respect. It may be accompanied by personal feelings of humiliation and chagrin, but it presupposes community relationships. It is not the same as guilt, which in biblical terms is about the consequences of personal and corporate failure to meet a standard. So Paul can say, “to your shame,” because he is addressing communal failure. He is pointing out that the Corinthians have been preoccupied with internal matters rather than acting as a light on a hill. They have focused their energy inwardly and ignored the mission to display changed character to a world in desperate need. They have failed to fulfill their purpose.
Unfortunately, our contemporary definitions of shame are not focused on public purpose and communal energy. Psychology itself has turned inwardly. Now it’s all about my individual feelings and personal struggles. For us, shame is a statement of being. It is the declaration that I am not worthy, that there is something essentially flawed in me. Because psychology looks toward the inner self, its solutions are also inward and individual. They often amount to positive self-talk, meditation and the ability to disconnect from the evaluation of others. Brené Brown captures the direction of this psychological approach when she states that we must encourage people to connect their self-worth to who they are, not what they produce. She calls this “daring greatly.”
“ . . . when we dare greatly we will err and we will come up short again and again. There will be failures and mistakes and criticism. If we want to be able to move through the difficult disappointments, the hurt feelings, and the heartbreaks that are inevitable in a fully lived life, we can’t equate defeat with being unworthy of love, belonging, and joy.”[1]
But Paul’s use of entrope adds a crucial element to this prescription. Shame is not overcome through individual effort or individual adjustment. Shame is a community issue. It can only be addressed within community. Overcoming shame requires vulnerability and vulnerability demands intrapersonal relationship. Instead of spiraling inward, we must discover spiraling outward. That means involvement with others. That means reaching out of myself so that my life is bigger than me. That means living beyond my grasp. It is not about what I do. It is about where I am headed and who is coming with me.
Entropy is more than a term in physics. It is also the deterioration of persons, the death spiral of inward preoccupation. But entrope can be overcome. Just start bearing someone else’s burden.
Topical Index: entrope, shame, 1 Corinthians 15:34
[1] Brené Brown, Daring Greatly, p. 67.
If there is a load you have to bear
That you can’t carry
I’m right up the road
I’ll share your now that there’s always tomorrow
Lean on me, when you’re not strong
And I’ll be your friend
I’ll help you carry on
For it won’t be long
‘Til I’m gonna need
Somebody to lean on
Lean On Me by Bill Withers
I don’t know how that happened. Try it again. ?
If there is a load you have to bear
That you can’t carry
I’m right up the road
I’ll share your load
Things to Do Today..
Live Lovingly
[We are to] ~ Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ ~ (Galatians 6.2)
[We are to] ~ Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others ~ (Philippians 2.4)
[We that ] ~ are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. (Romans 15.1)
[We are to] ~ let nothing be in the spirit of strife or vain glory, but, in lowliness of mind, each esteem the other as more excellent than ourselves.. (Philippians 2.3)
[We are to] ~ Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.. (Romans 12.10)
[We are to] ~ In our relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.. ~ (Philippians 2.5)
[We are to] ~ Live lovingly, just as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us as an offering and sacrifice, a fragrant aroma to God ~ (Ephesians 5.2)
[We are to] ~ pray for one another.. ~ (James 5.17)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiouJsnYytI
Sometimes in those really dark hours, only Yeshua provides the solace and rest we need.
Mathew 11:28-29
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Hi Skip,
I just want to take this moment to thank you for
your ministry and contribution here. It is so good
and insightful reading your content. The Lord truly
is using you in big ways, keeping scripture in true
form as possible.
Blessings
Mark Sheard
Jer 6:16 may be what Yeshua was referring to…
The correct order to righteousness (love) is, first, getting the channel open between you and God, and then turning around and applying to yourself what He has done for you (love yourself properly). Then (and ONLY then) will you have the love conduits open for others. Nobody wants me to give them a bath when I am a mess. Nope – they know better! Fixing the problems of others as a WAY of avoiding my own, I found to my sorrow, did not work. I cannot work my way out of my fractures by focusing on the fractures of those around me, that is true, BUT, my fears can fade if I just start caring about the fears of others. The key for me was that I had to get it right with my own Saviour before He could work through me for others. I kept neglecting that part!
How do you know you are connected? Test the circuit – reach out to someone else. This is HOW I get to experience the love of God in me that I have been restored TO. Being saved creates this insatiable itch to share, and there is only one way to scratch it… I get loved when you do. Let’s hold hands!
Amen, Laurita. Nobody wants a bath from somebody that’s a mess. lol. And yes indeedy, they do know better. You can’t give what you ain’t got. But yes, we can start to look outward, to think about others even if we can’t offer much in the way of resources. And I believe God recognizes that as a start. Little things. Remembering someone that made you laugh. Remembering someone buying you a cup of coffee and listening to you. Listening to someone. What a gift. Really all must people want. Just knowing someone cares. What a blessing. Maybe the person won’t even acknowledge it much less appreciate it at the time. But somewhere down the line who knows. We can do something “little” for someone that may somewhere down the line have huge significance for them!
In 12 step recovery, you are cautioned not to place too much faith in people. The idea being people will let you down. God is our ultimate source of reliability and that is what you’ll hear in recovery.
I have placed faith in people at times only to be disappointed time and time again…But that hasn’ t kept me from trying to reach out in community. I would usually find myself in trouble. I was seeking God. I was trying to find my way. But it was a long walk and I was constantly wanting God to rescue me.
It seemed like I lived in crisis mode with constant panic and pain. I tried to surrender. People will say it was focus on self that kept me from freedom. It just never seemed like my truth.
I find myself in that place of disappointment again with a person. Someone I decided to trust amd share my story with. I find myself disappointed and extremely hurt by this person. This person is someone I should have been able to trust. I ask YHVH why today? What could I have done differently? I honestly don’t know.
My focus is on YHVH and what Yeshua has done for me. I have a different life now. I have freedom. I have joy. I am blissful at times. Tonight though is one of pain.
As Leah was blessed, so am I. YHVH has seen me.
“And she conceived again and bore a son and said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing.” Gen 29:35