Have you ever wondered what the difference is between humiliation and humility? Come along today as I share an old post from 2016 and then some current thoughts on those words:
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HUMILIATION and SHAME
Those two little words were never part of my picture of disease or illness.
In the past, I thought I viewed people who were suffering through the eyes of compassion. I hurt for them, and I wanted to find a way to help them. I wanted to lift them to Jesus most of all.
But something changed when I was the one suffering.
I never thought about the humiliation that might come when I could not hold the coins in my hand at the check-out counter. I never thought about the shame of being seen as the Shuffling-One as I tried to move out of the way for the Hurried-Ones. No, I had felt the shame of messing up from my own mistakes, or being hurt by another’s wrong choices.
But how was it that I came to this place of being humiliated by my own physical condition? And where did I pick up this feeling of being ashamed by my illness? I was as shocked by what I was carrying around in my heart, even more than what I was carrying around in my body.
As I cried out to Jesus, I realized that God never HUMILIATES. God brings HUMBLENESS, a lesson that I have asked to be taught many times throughout my lifetime. I was ready to learn again, here in this place of Chronic Illness. But I realized that before I could learn more about humbleness, I would need to learn how to quiet my heart from this weight of SHAME that I carry with me.
But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.
Psalm 131:2 NIV
Quiet my own heart? There is so much fear attached to shame and humiliation: Fear of being exposed, feeling naked in the shame. I am not alone in this Shame Game. I have borne the burdens of many others who also walk hunched over by shame. Could it be that Jesus is letting me physically bear this shuffling time, hunched over in protectiveness from the pain, so that I can let that compassion run deeper in my veins?
Jesus invites me in, where He dwells, into my most vulnerable heart. And He whispers
HUSH, BE STILL, HEAR WHAT I HAVE TO SAY
I cannot be near to His Heart without feeling His heartbeat. He covers the Shame of the naked ones, and He lifts up the shuffling of the humiliated ones.
I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness; I made my vow to you and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord God, and you became mine.
Ezekiel 16:8 ESV
The Lord of all, calls us HIS OWN and invites us to share in HIS GLORY. When HE covers our shame, with HIS OWN cloak, then we truly are transformed, lifting our shuffling to gaze on HIM.
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Oh how little did I realize back in 2016 the depths of shame I had yet to face in this chronic illness journey! If you’ve read along with me through the years then you will have seen the multiple medication failures, the mysterious medication side effects, the condemning doctors’ evaluations. But you also might remember the moments of rescue, the words of healing, and the glorious ways of our Lord who continues to lift me out of those lies of shame and into His graceful truth.
On a recent weekend, extended family visited our home, and once again I found myself feeling badly about being the Shuffling-One, and the one having to stay in my room because of medication after-effects. Yet, somehow, God was in the process, teaching me more about His great sufficiency.
As I sat with my devotional, the tears came when I read these verses:
For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. … But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
1 Corinthians 1:25, 27-30 NIV
Decades ago, God had given this passage as a promise for me to cling to. Ever since then, especially since my chronic illness diagnosis, He has continued to call me to offer my weaknesses up to Him, to find in true humility that His glory sustains me.
Then just days later at my rheumatology follow-up visit, my Doctor was not surprised by my high inflammation markers. She was not condemning over my many areas of tenosynovitis causing misshapen fingers, ankles, and wrists. And she was so willing to prescribe some meds to help with these injection after-effects. Even the tiny bit of improvement from the injections seemed hopeful to her.
And so I cling to my Lord once again, watching how He is changing my fears of being shamed into His glorious gifts of sustaining. There is no boasting, except in the greatness of our God.
Most gladly therefore will I glory rather in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
1 Corinthians 12:9 NIV
During this same time period, my husband, with his own weaknesses, has been able to post our two latest books on Amazon! Only God could be carrying us through every one of these steps. For those who have asked us, you can now find Tree & Boy on Amazon here and Mouse-kins! on Amazon here.
Are you carrying a weight of weakness in your days?
Are you facing new threats of shame?
Is there a shuffling in your life that seems to drag you down into humiliation?
I would love to pray with you and offer this blessing. He is waiting to lift us into His true humility where we know that His great love has become our only strength and desire.
May God bless you now
With His deep heart of grace and
Loving compassion
May He give wisdom
That can only come from Him
Peaceable and pure
May He restore you
Beside His healing streams, where
Living water flows
And may we all come to know more fully:
O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear
Psalm 10:17 NASB
**thank you to my dear friends: Anna Smit’s sending of Scripture, before she knew the theme of this post, led me here to Psalm 10:17. And Gayl Wright edited my prayer of blessing into the beautiful poem today.
BettieGsRAseasons 
Oh, Bettie, what a long journey you have been through with these illnesses, medications, and side effects, but what beautiful ways the Lord has met you through it all. Then, in your humble way, you share them with us, and we are blessed. You always encourage me, and I thank God that He made our paths cross in 2016. Blessings, love, and hugs to you, my dear, beautiful sister/poet/friend! xoxo
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Dear Gayl, I am so very thankful that God joined our paths together also! I had no idea, back in 2016 when I first started blogging, how God would bless me with dear friends thru these online airways! Our God is so faithful in every area of our lives. You always encourage me also my dear sister/poet/friend! Hugs and love to you! 💕
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Oh Bettie. How the Lord loves us, doesn’t He? In ways we cannot even grasp. Your words, your soft heart and testimony continually speak into my life and carry me into the heart of God and His mercy for us.
This touches me deeply: The Lord of all, calls us HIS OWN and invites us to share in HIS GLORY. When HE covers our shame, with HIS OWN cloak, then we truly are transformed, lifting our shuffling to gaze on HIM.
Also because I remember Corrie ten Boom’s last 5 “silent years”, lying in bed, mute from her stroke, and yet speaking, groaning and praying in the Spirit in unfathomable ways, bearing fruit even still today. Her prayer, right before suffering that lameness and muteness – was – “show me Your glory, Lord”. He did. Just not the way she had ever imagined. She got to join the very ones she had ministered to as a young woman (the intellectually and physically disabled) – in their prison – to discover that being imprisoned for the Gospel is the greatest gift anyone could ever receive: as Peter, Paul, John and many others could testify to in the Gospels.
You- you are also being shown the glory of God. It is a path of incredible suffering. A path we cannot bear, but for the grace and bearing up of our Savior for us, as your testimonies repeatedly declare. To God be the glory: great things He hath done and shall continue to do. Your prayers – Christ’s in and through you – will continue to reap fruit long after you have gone to be with Jesus. May your children – also your spiritual children like me – rise up and call you blessed.
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Dear Anna, oh what sweet thoughts to think of Corrie in those places that the world counted as only weak and even shameful, and yet God allowed her to share in His glory in such amazing ways. Thank you for reminding me of her story. I’m so glad we could read that book together. We have so much joy to look forward to when we step into eternity and can share His glory face to face! Thank you for all of the precious ways that you have encouraged me to keep looking up to Jesus. May you be so blessed today with His strength in your weaknesses also. Hugs and love across the great sea! ❤️
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Bettie, you continue to inspire me and many others. Thank you so much for your encouragement and for sharing your journey. Sending love and prayers from me to you. Have a blessed Easter!
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Dear Melissa, thank you for always bringing such encouragement to me through all these years! I’m so grateful for your friendship, and I pray for a Blessed Easter for you too! Hugs & Love! ❤️
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Thank you for this, Bettie. My chronic illness is more invisible to those who don’t know me well, but it just occurred to me that I do shame myself when I can’t do more or go somewhere when it concerns my loved ones. Then even though they do understand, I still beat myself up for not being there for them and feel like a failure. So your reminder that God never humiliates or shames us is comforting. I’m so sorry you still have those nasty side effects, but I thank God that you now have a more supportive and understanding doctor. Your prayer really resonates in my heart, dear friend. Love and blessings of more of God’s overshadowing grace as you struggle on!
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Dear Trudy, oh we do so easily fall into that trap of shaming ourselves, don’t we? I’m so grateful for all the years that God has allowed us to pray for each other over these digital airwaves. You have been such an encouragement to me through every hard place. You were one of the first to ever comment on one of these posts. Oh how I pray for that same comfort and encouragement to cover you whenever that shame tries to sneak in. May His grace bless you, and give you such a sweet Easter!
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Thank you so much, Bettie! God has blessed me with encouragement and comfort through you over the years, too! “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!” Love and hugs!
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💕💕💕 love&hugs!
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I feel this shame a lot. Especially lately. I’m the one with vertigo issues and carpal tunnel and fatigue and I feel like a burden who can’t do what I should do, want to do, or need to do. As usual, your post comes just when I need it.
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Dear Lisa, I’m so sorry you are facing all these issues now. It really is so easy to fall under that shame, isn’t it? But oh what Grace our Lord has for us right there. You are in my prayers so much tonight. I’m so thankful that God has woven our paths together over these years. Blessings and love to you ❤️
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Thank you ❤️❤️
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I so appreciate your honesty here, Bettie. I’ve slipped into that humiliation also when I’ve felt weak or experienced a setback. But thankfully we don’t have to stay there. There is indeed such a difference between humiliation and humility. I want more of the latter and none of the former.
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Oh amen dear Lisa! What a gift we have from our Saviour who lifts us out of that humiliation. I agree with you so much– yes Lord open my heart to more of Your true humbleness. Thank you dear friend for your encouragement here. I pray for blessing and encouragement for you too! ❤️
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Let’s Shhh…the shame and focus on the great I AM! So easier said then done when we place pressures on ourselves to be more than what God’s calling us to — that is resting in Him. “I cannot be near to His Heart without feeling His heartbeat. He covers the Shame of the naked ones, and He lifts up the shuffling of the humiliated ones.” Lovely. And AMEN! Thank you for blessing me with your beautiful blessing, Bettie!
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Yes so much truth to focus on our Great I Am! And yes, He has such a great place of rest in Him for us. Oh may I lift my eyes and see His grace right there. Thank you for your precious thoughts too, dear Lynn.❤️
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A beautifully powerful post, dear Bettie – truly a remarkable testimony of the grace of Jesus that lives in your heart, transforming you, and giving you peace in the midst of your health struggles. Your testimony is so very powerful, and your sharing of the difficult places that come with a chronic illness – praying continually for you, and that the Lord would use you in this place to do wondrous and mighty things for His name! Blessings to you dear friend!
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Dear Marilyn, thank you so much for your encouragement and prayers! I appreciate them so much. Truly our Lord has carried me through so much, and worked great miracles of grace! I know you understand those daily gifts. May you be so blessed this Easter weekend dear friend!
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