Most of us know someone who has a hyperactive sense of guilt. There are lots of jokes about being raised Catholic when this topic comes up. But some families are just better at imposing a sense of guilt on children than other families. Some spouses use guilt to force their will on the other. And guilt like this can be passed along for generations. It can even become embedded in certain cultural practices.
But on the practical, personal sense, misplaced guilt can be a powerful negative drag on our spiritual life. If we feel guilty for things we either didn’t do, or for things for which we have asked for and received forgiveness, it is misplaced guilt. Some weights we just don’t need to carry.
Often abusers are very good at getting the abused person to feel guilty for things they didn’t do. They use their anger most often to accuse and point the finger. The words “If you hadn’t” and “You made me” seem to crop up frequently. And because of the furor of the verbal assault, the abused often accepts the words because to reject them would mean further violence. Accepting the blame is easier than facing more abuse. And then over time the abused person often begins to believe the lie.
But there is a way to put our hearts at rest. The battle that rages inwardly around guilt, both real and imposed, can be settled. And for the Jesus-follower it is a settled issue. We know that when we confess our sins we are forgiven. And if we are forgiven, we are no longer guilty. Our guilt has been taken, and mercy is what we receive. Mercy is getting what we don’t deserve. We can live without guilt for sins committed.
Out text tells us that sometimes our hearts tell us something that isn’t true. Sometimes our hearts tell us that we, even though we are believers, are condemned. We live with a sense of condemnation. We walk around wondering if the next sin will be “the big one” that will push us beyond God’s grace.
This misplaced guilt can keep us from drawing in near to the LORD and into fellowship with each other. Satan is like a spouse abuser. He makes people feel guilty for things they didn’t do. He brings up the past failures as a way to keep guilt alive. As if we don’t have enough trouble controlling our own history of failure, he pokes and prods at just the right moments.
But before we start seeing Satan behind every guilty thought, we need to recognize the influence of our own upbringing and culture. Maybe it isn’t a mortal sin to eat meat on Fridays. Maybe it is OK to laugh in church. Maybe we can enjoy life.
The truth is that the LORD knows everything, and if He doesn’t condemn us, what right do we have to condemn ourselves?
The Arnold Journey 