Are you a “blusher?” For most of my life, I have been considered a blusher. Simply put, anytime I have felt embarrassed, inadequate, or received unexpected attention, or done something wrong, my face would quickly turn red. To make matters worse, invariably, someone would always come up to me and say, “Are you okay?’ Even though they were asking out of concern, their question only increased the surface temperature of my face! We would all agree blushing is a result of some level of uncomfortableness.
According to the December 23, 2014 article in Psychology Today entitled, “How Blushing Exposes You, and Benefits You,” we learn much about the psychology behind what makes us blush. The article says, “You may have blushed at times when you were embarrassed, humiliated, discouraged, or mortified. Although blushing is an innately patterned emotional response, it can be conceived most simply as a reaction to heightened self-consciousness. Blushing occurs in situations that you perceive as involving a social transgression. Such “exposure experiences” cause you to blush because they activate feelings of shame—you think of yourself as “caught” in the eyes of others, and you may feel as though you are inadequate, lacking, or vulnerable in terms of any number of important attributes.”
Blushing is our body’s natural response of realizing we have made a mistake because we know what is right and wrong. Blushing is also associated with our exposure to experiences we are not familiar with; when we are sensitive to our surroundings. When we become “desensitized” or numb to the things around us in relation to our conduct, thoughts, or words, we no longer seek to be pleasing to God. We live in a society that calls “bad behavior good and good behavior bad” (Isaiah 5:20). To go even further, we live in society that not only calls “bad behavior good and good behavior bad,” but so many of our institutions encourage such behavior/thoughts. For example, our country not only encourages same-sex marriage by legalizing it, but the idea this behavior is “okay” is now being promoted in elementary school across the land. Additionally, laws are now in place to punish anyone hinting this practice is wrong in the public arena. Galatians 5:16-21 details behavior which is sinful and will cause us to miss Heaven. But these behaviors are so accepted, encouraged, and allowed to the point we no longer blush!
However, we are not the first society or group to lose the ability to blush! The book of Jeremiah is the prophecy of a man divinely called in his youth to preach to a group of people who are numb to their actions and who have forsaken the Lord. However, Scripture reminds us the Lord is merciful towards those who return to Him, even when they have “backslid.” Jeremiah 3:12-13 says, Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say: ‘Return, backsliding Israel,’ says the Lord; ‘I will not cause My anger to fall on you.
For I am merciful,’ says the Lord; ‘I will not remain angry forever. Only acknowledge your iniquity,
That you have transgressed against the Lord your God, And have scattered your charms To alien deities under every green tree, And you have not obeyed My voice,’ says the Lord. Jeremiah 6:15 teaches us that those Jeremiah was preaching to would not acknowledge their sin and what they permitted, they promoted! This verse says, Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed;
Nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time I punish them,
They shall be cast down,” says the Lord.
If we are not careful, we will fall into the trap of “going along to get along!” The things we participate in with our money, time, and presence all reflect our awareness to culture and commitment to Christ. May we always be aware of sin in our lives and sin that surrounds us. If we are, we not only avoid blushing, but we are pleasing the Lord.
