How to not be afraid of being shamed for Christ

Encouraged by these verses:

"A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull)" - Mark 15:21-22

While Simon from Cyrene carried the cross for Christ, who were the crowd hurling insults, spitting and making sport of? Rather, to WHOM were the mockeries directed at? Was it to Simon, or to Jesus? It was to Jesus Christ. Herein is encouragement for those of us, including myself, that are afraid of being ashamed for the name of Christ: Their mocking is not directed at you. Their cursing is not directed at you. We remember what Jesus said: "They cannot hate you, but they hate Me". When we speak of Christ to people, it is not us that they are hating. They are hating Christ. Their insults are directed at Christ, because it is Christ - God - that they hate, not us.

What Christ is saying to us is, 'I will take the shame for you, I will take all the insults, and shame, and mocking, as I have done on the way to Calvary, but take up the cross beside me'.

Christ is with us in all the mocking and insulting and abusing that we take for His Name, for it is Him those crowds are hating, not us directly. Thus we take shade under His wings, even in persecution.

Lord, help us to take up the cross, knowing that you are with us, to shield us from their arrows. Amen