Week 21: Guilt
Weekly Chapters:
II Chronicles 32 –
Nehemiah 7
Passage of the Week:
II Chronicles 34:19-21
Adjective:
1. The fact of having committed an offense, crime, violation of the wrong, especially against the moral law
2. Failing responsibility or remorse for a criminal offense or wrong
Thesaurus:
· Culpability
· Regret
· Disgrace
· Remorse
· Indiscretion
· Shame
· Liability
· Sin
Father God,
As I learn more about myself, You reveal more to me about who I am and who I am to be in You. Often with this learning comes feelings of guilt. I blame myself and have trouble forgetting my indiscretions. Guilt can follow me for years. I do not know about you, but wrongdoings as far back as childhood can haunt me. Help me, Lord Jesus, learn how to release feelings of guilt so that I can be free.
Amen
Authentic vulnerability:
Guilt racks my life. It causes distress and emotional turmoil. I feel guilty about things I have done, said, thought, and sometimes who I am as a person. I can look back to my teens, and I still feel guilty. And some ways, it controls me; in some ways, it beats me down. It does not interfere with my daily life, but it does hit me often.
I can think back to a time when I was 19 I made a business decision that didn’t go the way I thought it would or should. It’s still living in my thoughts often. Almost 30 years later, and I’m still haunted.
Most of my feelings of guilt are based on my decisions or actions done or said in front of others. What God, my Father, thinks of me does not weigh me down on me as much as what others think of me. No one else remembers my mistakes or missteps as I do, yet these feelings haunt me.
Guilt is healthy, and that is your sensor for right and wrong; but how far is too far?
What is your Authentic Truth?
Study:
We find in I and II Chronicles and I and II Kings that mirror each other. Many Kings felt the guilt of their sins and the sins of their country. We see the cost of flip-flopping kings of Judah who seemingly stay in grace leading their people, followed by a new king who ultimately falls from grace in significant ways.
Each king who turns back to God and His teaching feels the guilt of past kings and the people of Judah.
In II Chronicles 34, we are introduced to Josiah, a very young king at eight years old, who reigned for 31 years.
At the age of 16, Josiah began to seek God. And around 20, he declared the removal of other gods in the land. King Josiah removed the asherah poles and cast images (v 3), he pulled alters to bael (v 4), he ordered them all to be destroyed, “he burned the bones out of the pagan priests on their altars, and so he purified Judah and Jerusalem” (v5). He carried this out in all regions throughout Israel. At 26, he declared the restoration of the temple. Through the clean-up of the temple, the priest Hilkiah found the book of the law of the Lord written by Moses (v 14). The court secretary, Shaphan, brought the scrolls to the king, Josiah, and read them to him (v 18).
At the point of hearing the word of God, Josiah “tore his clothes in despair” (v 19). Josiah felt the guilt of his nation.
Tearing one’s clothes was a symbol of extreme guilt or pain, like losing a loved one. The act conveys intense feelings as clothing was expensive and challenging to make versus the readily available clothing of today. The act of ripping the fabric was an emotional release. It is good to understand the difference between guilt and shame—guilt being the feelings of internal violation of one’s morals while shame may be a violation of cultural morals. Also, guilt is the feeling toward an act, while shame is inward.
Guilt – I can’t believe I said or did that. Brings on feelings of self.
Shame—I am a horrible person because I did or said that. Brings on the thoughts of others.
God forgives our sins. God created us, believes in and loves us; yet, we carry guilt and shame around with us like suitcases. We cannot let go of them. Sometimes we carry around a set of luggage, so heavy the load weighs in on us—thus the term baggage. Our inability to let go of our past decisions can weigh so heavily on us.
We look at Josiah, his great relief to tear his clothes, mourn the past decisions, and move to set things right.
Forgiving ourselves must take place to move beyond feelings of shame and guilt. Forgiving ourselves and overcoming self-criticism, self-destructing behaviors (alcohol or food as a way of deadening emotions), self-sabotage (continuing lousy behavior, starting fights), believing you do not deserve good things, and releasing these feelings is essential for us to move on.
Easier said than done. Remember that you are loved by God, Your Father, and you are forgiven.
Father God,
My guilt and shame can sometimes overcome me, and I start to berate myself. Help me in these times to seek You first and to forgive myself. Father God, You love me and want to see me healthy; let me see this so I can forgive myself. Let me be good to me so that I can spread love and light as You design.
Amen.
Homework:
Consider something that you cannot let go of, which causes you feelings of guilt and shame. Instead of you doing the act, imagine a small child, a Son, Daughter, Niece, or Nephew who did the action.
What would you say to them? Would you tell them to forgive themselves, or would you criticize this small child as you do to yourself? More than likely, you would say to them it would all be OK. Imagine them in the role and imagine how you would comfort them. Put yourself back in the part and hug yourself and tell yourself it’s going to be OK. Forgive yourself. Breathe in and out that forgiveness.
If you have guilt or shame you cannot get past, seek professional help. There are some things we cannot move on from on our own for various reasons. In these cases, seek help; God does not want you to feel alone. That’s why he created the church.
