Battling the formidable foe of guilt

Several weeks ago, something interesting happened at my work.  I was in the back one morning, in my own world at the time; but without warning, a lemon hit me in the side of the neck.  I hadn’t noticed that one of my coworkers was in a particularly silly mood, and was horsing around.  She had thrown the lemon, and had meant to hit another employee, but her aim was off, and it hit me instead.  My coworker was absolutely mortified at this.  She apologized profusely.  

At the end of her work shift, as I said goodbye, she apologized yet again.  Each time, I responded with forgiveness.  Interestingly, the next time I saw her a few days later, she continued with her same tune of sorrow for the lemon episode (which I had all but forgotten at this point).  I had forgiven her, but she was evidently having significant difficulty in forgiving herself.

Can you relate?  Have you ever found yourself in, as one pastor called it, “spiritual depression” over a regrettable episode of sin?  In those instances, have you thought to yourself, or perhaps even said, “I know God has forgiven me, but I can’t forgive myself”?  I have to admit to you that I know what it’s like to be in the grip of guilt.  It’s easy to wallow in guilt, shame, and self-pity.  But, if you are in Christ, you are pardoned, cleansed, and forgiven of all sin.  That doesn’t mean that you won’t face the consequences of your selfish choices, but the fact still remains that the blood of Jesus has washed you clean.  The Bible declares, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

We can take that promise of forgiveness from the Word of God to the bank.  Yet many of us place our feelings of guilt above God’s declaration.  Like the lemon episode at my work, the proclamation of forgiveness should suffice.  To hold on to the unforgiveness, therefore, is to elevate the guilty feelings over the promise of God.  We must intentionally choose to be liberated by the truth from the Word of God, rather than hold on to the guilt.  Not that this is necessarily easy.  As I said in the last blog, it will take vigilance.  Whenever you realize you have slipped into this thinking, stop and remind yourself that God has chosen forgiveness, and that settles it.

Guilt can be incredibly powerful.  I have found that it can eat you up, if you let it.  It’s easy to decide to not forgive ourselves of something that we have done.  But to live like this is to live in self-made chains that God wants us to be free from.  Since God has extended His forgiveness to His children, what right do we have to disregard this invitation?  Matthew West has a good song on this.  In his song titled “Grace Wins”, he sings, “There’s a war between guilt and grace, and they’re fighting for a sacred space, but I’m living proof, grace wins every time.”  I can echo my “amen” to that!

Kevin