by Pastor Mike Kiewitt, Clearwater Community Baptist Church
Guilt is the natural consequence of acting in a manner that is contrary to our conscience. It is an integral guide that regulates our actions both within ourselves a well as within society.
An individual that is without guilt is one that is without conscience and rightly deemed a sociopath. For the majority of individuals in society this is, thankfully, not the case.
Guilt brings with it a host of unconscious reactions. First is paranoia: the belief that others are generally against you because guilt leaves you feeling that others have a right to mistrust you. Such paranoia leaves one assuming negative motivations behind other’s actions regardless of their intent.
Secondly, guilt stimulates the desire to gossip. Feeling guilty leaves one with a continued need for positive affirmation. Having none, the guilty person will in speak poorly of others in order to convince themselves and others that they are superior to the ones they’re speaking against.
Lastly, prolonged guilt leads to self-abusive behaviour. In an attempt to ease the pain of guilt one will engage in self destructive behaviour such as addictions or self-harming.
There are two ways to deal with this sense of guilt. On the one hand one can deny the existence of morality and ethics and continue to struggle in a state of self-degradation.
On the other hand one can turn to the living God, repent for their sins and yield to Jesus Christ as personal Lord and saviour. The choice is yours. Either struggle to deny the guilt that assaults you or embrace the God that is eager to forgive you and pour out his affection on your life.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
