The Gift of Guilt

​After spending two months on seeking to hurdle deadly barriers, I think it is easy for us to see more clearly how these 7 deadly temptations are in our lives. Hopefully, we feel more equipped to identify them, see Jesus' exit signs and jump on Jesus' bask as He hurdles them with us. But, sometimes we get tackled by these temptations and give in. Maybe guilt has crept in and settled in to your life. If so, what do you do with this guilt?
God doesn’t want you living with heavy guilt. Guilt destroys your confidence. Guilt damages your relationships. Guilt keeps you stuck in the past. Guilt even hurts your health. A Cardiologist explained that guilt increases blood pressure which raises the risk to get heart disease, diabetes, depression and anxiety disorders. Some experts explain that 50-70 percent of people in the hospital could leave if they knew how to resolve their guilt.

God wants us to know that guilt is a gift. God wants us to know that He does not want us to be overcome by guilt. He wants to relieve our guilt. He wants to give us a sense of hope.

But how?
Admit to God you’ve made a mistake. It doesn’t surprise Him. It won’t change His perception of you. God is always ready to give you another chance. That’s a bedrock truth of Christianity. We’ve all been selfish. We’ve all screwed up. The Bible tells us, “There is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins." Eccl 7:20  

If you admit your mistakes, your screw ups, your unintentional sins and your intentional rebellion, God will do some amazing things in you.

He will forgive you.
He will declare you not guilty.
He will forgive you instantly.
He will forgive you freely.
He will forgive you completely.
If you’re mired in guilt and shame, you’ll likely perpetuate whatever problem you have. You’ll tell yourself that you blew it, so you’re bad. Since you’re bad, you believe you’ll blow it again. It’s a nasty cycle from which we often can’t seem to escape, at least not on our own.

We need a power beyond ourselves. We need a Savior. We need Jesus.

God says, "If we confess our sins, He who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

How is guilt affecting you physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually?
When was the last time you confessed to God specifically the temptations you have given into?
When was the last time you sat quietly in God's presence to sense the gift of guilt God wants you to feel?
When was the last time you honestly confessed what you did to cause that guilt?
When was the last time you thanked God deeply for His gift of instant, complete and free forgiveness?

"People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy." Pr 28:13

Letting God's gift of guilt to be felt and relieved daily together,
Pastor Chris