Are you living with guilt? Do you need to learn how to let go and be forgiven?
It really is true that we have all made mistakes. We all have done something that causes us to feel shame and guilt. Maybe we cheated on a test in school, or told a lie to someone who deserved the truth, or hurt someone we loved. The fact is, no one has ever measured up to integrity absolutely. The result is that we feel guilty for not acting the way we should have acted.
Guilt brings feelings of shame, of frustration, and of internal conflict in our soul. There are many ways to deal with these emotions. You can deflect the guilt onto someone else … “it wasn’t my fault” or “I had no other choice”
You can try to minimize the impact of what you have done … … “everyone else is doing it.” or “sure it happened, but it’s not like I killed somebody.”
You can try to do something positive to outweigh the damage. Maybe you give money to a charity, you donate blood, or you help an old lady cross the street. You hope that your good works will override your guilt and then you can feel good about yourself again. But, the truth is that until you deal with the guilt, you will ever be freed from shame and the consequences of your actions.
I am here to tell you that there is hope! There is someone who can take away the guilt by forgiving you and set you back on your life journey with a clean slate. That person is Jesus Christ. See, rightfully you and I deserved to pay the penalty for our sins that cause our guilt. But, the penalty for sin is death. But, God didn’t create us to destroy us! If everyone who sinned suffered the rightful penalty, which is death, then we’d all be dead and there would be no one alive with whom God can relate. So, instead He sent His Son, His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to take all the sins of humanity and to die on our place. But, the amazing aspect of this is that Jesus Christ then rose from death and came back to life. Death could not stop him!
What this means to you and me is that we can take our sins and our guilt and give them over to Jesus. He alone is worthy to forgive us of our sins and to transform our hearts and minds. He alone can give you freedom!
Believe me, the shame and guilt will come back at you but you can reject those old feelings. Once you are forgiven that guilt becomes false guilt because God no longer holds you accountable. When you allow Jesus into your heart and to take control of your life, you can become a new person. You can feel good about yourself again! You can feel the purity of being a person of integrity. Instead of feeling shame, you can walk with confidence that you have recieved forgiveness. When we believe in Jesus, we become righteous in Him. Christ’s righteousness is God’s great gift to us.
As you travel life’s journey, you can take the road from guilt to forgiveness. Pray this prayer with us…
“Dear Jesus, I can no longer carry the burden of guilt and shame. Please forgive me for what I have done. Please teach me how to live rightly and with integrity. I surrender my heart to you and ask that you take control of my life now. Thank you.”