Hello Greatness,
Happy new month!! Isn’t it exciting that we are already in June!! Like once this month is over, we are done with the first half of the year. Hope your year is meeting up to your expectations. I pray that Provers 4:18 is your reality this year. Let’s get right to the topic of the day.
Guilt is aversive and—like shame, embarrassment, or pride—has been described as a self-conscious emotion, involving reflection on oneself. People may feel guilt for a variety of reasons, including acts they have committed (or think that they committed), a failure to do something they should have done, or thoughts that they think are morally wrong.
Psychology Today
God has recently been dealing with me in the area of guilt. As Christians, we hold ourselves up to a certain standard(which is absolutely good because it shows that you are interested in keeping God happy) which we sometimes fall short of. The problem with having this standard is that we go against what God has promised us. When you sin, God has made provisions for you to go directly to Him and ask for mercy. You see, He’s always available to hear us spill it out, and He receives us with open arms. What we do, however, is obsess over the sin and feel unworthy of being called a child of God. I get that you had a momentary lapse in judgement and slipped up, but what will you do after it’s happened. My advice, go straight to God. Never negotiate with the way you feel or try to justify the action. When you start to think it’s “Just a little sin” then trust that you’ve opened up a can of worms that only the Holy Spirit can help cover up. Admitting you’ve done something wrong should be easy for you as a child of God because it shows that you’ve let go of your ego and have accepted God’s redeeming power to do His work in you.
On the flip side of justifying the sin is feeling constantly guilty about committing the sin in the first place. I feel like this is a hole you really don’t want to dig up. Yes, as a child of God you shouldn’t be caught doing that. But please, accept the healing balm of God. Never feel so guilty that you feel praying or studying God’s Word makes you a hypocrite. Staying in guilt is a sin of its own because it shows that you clearly do not trust God’s Word about accepting you back. He’s always ready to get you back and restore your relationship. After all, he gave up His only Son for this very purpose. Some people have allowed guilt rob them of the best relationship they could ever have. The truth is, every sin has the same magnitude with God. He is Holy and everything unholy is absolutely wrong and can’t stand before Him.
I’ve got good news for you….. we have victory over guilt and over sin. Dying on the Cross of Calvary was not a mistake. God knew before you committed the sin and He made provisions available just so you don’t have to sink so deep in your guilt. Actually, you might have been strong in faith and the devil could have studied you to know you probably would not fall to the sin of adultery or murder, but then there’s also the place of guilt. Never give room for the devil to come in. Be extremely watchful for those things that could easily trip you(Hebrews 12:1).
Talk out your feeling of guilt with God. Confess your sins and God will forgive you. One of the work of the Holy Spirit is to convict us, so yeah, that feeling that you got that what you just did was wrong was a prompt from the Holy Spirit. Do not ignore that feeling. Open up your mouth and voice out that thought. Quickly say, “God, I’m sorry for gossiping about that person. I’m sorry for not telling the whole truth(which is a lie). God, I’m sorry for watching that adult movie.” Do your part by confessing and watch the Holy Spirit do a quick work in you.
Interestingly, Paul writes about the Conundrum of a believer in Romans 7:15-25 TPT, please read through till the end and see that even before you were born, you already have the victory and you too can overcome guilt and sin.
15 I’m a mystery to myself,[l] for I want to do what is right, but end up doing what my moral instincts condemn. 16 And if my behavior is not in line with my desire, my conscience still confirms the excellence of the law. 17 And now I realize that it is no longer my true self doing it, but the unwelcome intruder of sin in my humanity. 18 For I know that nothing good lives within the flesh of my fallen humanity. The longings to do what is right are within me, but willpower is not enough to accomplish it.[m] 19 My lofty desires to do what is good are dashed when I do the things I want to avoid. 20 So if my behavior contradicts my desires to do good, I must conclude that it’s not my true identity doing it, but the unwelcome intruder of sin hindering me from being who I really am.
21 Through my experience of this principle, I discover that even when I want to do good, evil is ready to sabotage me. 22 Truly, deep within my true identity, I love to do what pleases God. 23 But I discern another power operating in my humanity, waging a war against the moral principles of my conscience[n] and bringing me into captivity as a prisoner to the “law” of sin—this unwelcome intruder in my humanity. 24 What an agonizing situation I am in! So who has the power to rescue this miserable man from the unwelcome intruder of sin and death?[o] 25 I give all my thanks to God, for his mighty power has finally provided a way out through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One! So if left to myself, the flesh is aligned with the law of sin, but now my renewed mind is fixed on and submitted to God’s righteous principles.[p]
P.S: If you find yourself unable to get over those feelings and easily ask God to cleanse your heart, Worshipping God is the quickest route to opening up your inner man. Spend time in worship and watch God work in your heart.
Your ever believing girl,
Mz_Ola
God's Unfolding Grace 