FEELING GUILTY, IS NOT ALWAYS A BAD THING...
Domingo Ivan Casañas
July 27, 2006
A German Philosopher once said, “Guilt is the most terrible sickness that has ever raged in man.” However, for those of us that know the Bible we can easily come to a different conclusion. As Christians the way we interpret guilt in many circumstances is by understanding that guilt is an essential part of knowing right from wrong and being a responsible person.
But what is guilt? Guilt is a feeling of knowing that we have hurt someone we care about or when we otherwise fall short of the standards we feel we should live by and knowing that we were not obedient to God.
Guilt relates to a sense of indebtedness because of a person’s culpability for a failure, offense, crime or sin. When we read in Psalm 32:5 how important it is to confess any transgressions to the Lord in order for God to forgive us. We also find people feeling guilty when they set unreasonable standards for themselves, each disappointment may trigger a feeling of undeserved guilt like it states in Ecclesiastes 7:16. At times some of us might allow legitimate remorse over a mistake or wrong to intensify into feelings of shame and end up punishing ourselves unnecessarily.
Are there any circumstances where guilt feelings might be helpful? In my opinion the answer is a definite “yes”. There are several instances where guilt can be good, for one a guilt feeling signals us that we are aware of acceptable standards. It shows that we have a working conscience. Another good in feeling guilty is when our conscience can help us avoid undesirable actions. Just as physical pain alerts us to a potential health problem, the emotional pain associated with guilt alerts us to a moral or spiritual problem that needs our attention. Once we are aware of this feeling, we are more inclined to avoid hurting our loved ones, others, or ourselves again in the future. (See Matthews 7:12) Finally, confessions of guilt can help both the guilty and the victim. Confession can make even the victim feel better because an admission of guilt can assure the victim that the other person loves him or her enough to regret causing so much pain.
Jesus has a special way of allowing us to repent, and forgiving us for those sins that give us those guilty feelings. It is a sad moment when we see some people constantly trying to make others feel guilty if they do not always do things the way they would want them to.
The answer to little or no guilt is to imitate Jesus. Setting the right example, commending others honestly, and expressing confidence in them even though at times may need prayer and some counsel. A guilty conscience should always move us to confession to our Lord so that it may be followed with positive action. However, the main reason we are to serve Jesus is always out of Love not Guilt. The Bible give us the answers to walk with our heads high and know that with the Love of Jesus we will always be one step ahead of a guilt trip.
By Domingo Ivan Casañas
But what is guilt? Guilt is a feeling of knowing that we have hurt someone we care about or when we otherwise fall short of the standards we feel we should live by and knowing that we were not obedient to God.
Guilt relates to a sense of indebtedness because of a person’s culpability for a failure, offense, crime or sin. When we read in Psalm 32:5 how important it is to confess any transgressions to the Lord in order for God to forgive us. We also find people feeling guilty when they set unreasonable standards for themselves, each disappointment may trigger a feeling of undeserved guilt like it states in Ecclesiastes 7:16. At times some of us might allow legitimate remorse over a mistake or wrong to intensify into feelings of shame and end up punishing ourselves unnecessarily.
Are there any circumstances where guilt feelings might be helpful? In my opinion the answer is a definite “yes”. There are several instances where guilt can be good, for one a guilt feeling signals us that we are aware of acceptable standards. It shows that we have a working conscience. Another good in feeling guilty is when our conscience can help us avoid undesirable actions. Just as physical pain alerts us to a potential health problem, the emotional pain associated with guilt alerts us to a moral or spiritual problem that needs our attention. Once we are aware of this feeling, we are more inclined to avoid hurting our loved ones, others, or ourselves again in the future. (See Matthews 7:12) Finally, confessions of guilt can help both the guilty and the victim. Confession can make even the victim feel better because an admission of guilt can assure the victim that the other person loves him or her enough to regret causing so much pain.
Jesus has a special way of allowing us to repent, and forgiving us for those sins that give us those guilty feelings. It is a sad moment when we see some people constantly trying to make others feel guilty if they do not always do things the way they would want them to.
The answer to little or no guilt is to imitate Jesus. Setting the right example, commending others honestly, and expressing confidence in them even though at times may need prayer and some counsel. A guilty conscience should always move us to confession to our Lord so that it may be followed with positive action. However, the main reason we are to serve Jesus is always out of Love not Guilt. The Bible give us the answers to walk with our heads high and know that with the Love of Jesus we will always be one step ahead of a guilt trip.
By Domingo Ivan Casañas
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