Daily Devotional For Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Guilt is something we all experience at times. This is a good thing because guilt allows us to feel remorse from our sin and wrong. Guilt also motivates us to do what is right the next time in the same situation. Guilt is God’s means to let us know when we have violated God’s and our moral standards. There is a difference between guilt and shame. Guilt is the feeling you get when you know you have done something wrong. Shame is the feeling you are wrong. We need a healthy dose of both. I say healthy because too much of one or the other can incapacitate you and cause you to make more wrong decisions because you feel bad about yourself.

The Bible affirms we are sinners. That is never going to change. We have to remind ourselves of this because if we do not, then can have the tendency to think we are consistently saints. This means we are no better than the next person. We live in a culture where we judge people based on their attitudes and actions. And when another person’s attitude and actions are worse than ours, we can get the big head and think we are better. The Bible says in Romans 12:3, ”For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned” (ESV).

I read this story about a man who said he found a way to cure his guilt, just not his sin:

There's a story about a man who walks into a restaurant and orders a Coke. As soon as he receives it, he throws it in the waiter's face. The waiter is ready to fight, but the man says, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I have a horrible compulsion. I can't help it. Whenever someone hands me a drink, I throw it in their face. Please, forgive me." Then the guy says, "I'm working hard to overcome this compulsion. Would you bring me another Coke?"

The waiter says, "Do you promise not to throw it in my face?” The guy responds, "I'm going to do everything I can not to throw it in your face. I'm working really hard to resist." So the waiter says, "Okay, I'll bring you another one.” Soon the waiter comes back with another Coke, and the guy throws it in the waiter's face. The waiter says, "I thought you said you wouldn't do that."

The guy apologizes: "Oh, this compulsion is so strong. I promise you that I will check myself into an in-patient clinic to get some help. Forgive me. I'm so sorry." The guy felt genuine guilt and sorrow, so he checks himself into a clinic, and for one month he gets intense psychotherapy to deal with his compulsion. When he gets out of the clinic, he goes back to the same restaurant, and he walks in and says, "I'm cured. Give me a drink."

The waiter says, "Wait a minute. I had to change my shirt last time you were here. Are you sure you're cured?” The guy says, "I know I'm cured. I promise." The waiter says, "Okay, if you're cured, I'll bring you a Coke." And so the waiter brings him a Coke. The guy looks at it and throws it right in the waiter's face. The waiter says, "I thought you said you were cured.” The guy says, "I am cured. I still have the compulsion, but I don't feel guilty about it anymore” (Source: Phillip Griffin, from the sermon "Broken and Repentant," PreachingToday.com).

Jesus Christ came to take care of both our guilt and and sin. Guilt and shame that makes us feel worthless, irredeemable and usable for God is unhealthy and is not from the Holy Spirit. Look at 2 Corinthians 7:10, “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death” (ESV). This is what we all need in our lives. Godly guilt and grief produces repentance in us, not a rejection of ourselves. Healthy guilt and shame can lead you to examine your thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors. It can allow you to see them through the lens of Scripture and the opinion of the Holy Spirit. When this happens, the Bible calls this repentance.

Some people carry long-term guilt and shame with them for years. They keep beating themselves up for something they did years ago. They say they accept God’s forgiveness, but they will not forgive themselves. Yes, we are sinners. Romans 3:23 affirms this. Look at it: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (ESV). The Bible affirms both the penalty for our sinfulness and the cure for it in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (ESV).

Forgiving becomes a challenge depending on the impact your wrong had on another. God’s forgiveness to us is not just transactional, it is also relational. We see this in John 1:12, “But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” (ESV). The reason some people carry guilt with them long-term is they never seek forgiveness from the person they wronged or if they did, that person, due to their own hurt and sin, refused to forgive them. 

This leaves the person who refuses to forgive worse off than from the offense against them. If you have ever been around a bitter and resentful person, they are no joy to be with in life. They are soured, angry, holding on to a grudge they keep nursing, which only keeps poisoning them with more bitterness. Someone said one time: “Refusing to forgive is like drinking poison and hoping it kills the person who offended you.” 

Some people seem to embrace feelings of guilt, whether through the tendencies of their personalities, or the way they have been treated by their parents or other people. I encourage you to examine the guilt in your life and determine its sources. Are they imposed on you by people who want to make you feel unworthy? Or are they promptings of the Spirit to draw you closer to God? This is what a man from Minersville, PA should have done:

“In Minersville, Pennsylvania a man cleared his conscience by paying a 44-year-old parking ticket. The Minersville Police Department received a letter last week with $5 and a note inside. The return address was "Feeling guilty, Wayward Road, Anytown, Ca."

Police Chief Michael Combs told local news the note said, "Dear PD, I've been carrying this ticket around for 40 plus years. Always intending to pay. Forgive me if I don't give you my info. With respect, Dave." The fine for the 1974 parking ticket in the eastern Pennsylvania town was $2. But the person added $3 for interest. The same ticket today would be $20.

Combs says the ticket was for a car with Ohio license plates, but the department did not have the technology to track out-of-state vehicles” (Source: WRBCtv, "Person, 'feeling guilty,' pays 44-year-old parking ticket" (7-5-18).

1 John 1:9 states, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (ESV). Notice that Christ’s forgiveness releases us from all wrong and sin. Guilt is an emotion we feel when we make a mistake. A healthy reaction is repentance. Repent, and ask God to give you strength to not sin in that way again.

Questions To Consider

1. Is there any unresolved guilt you carry with you today? If so, what it it and why?
2. Is there any unresolved shame you are still beating yourself down with today? If so, why?
3. Like the story above, is there any sin you still have a compulsion to do repeatedly? Would you consider confessing this to a trusted Christian friend as James 5:16 says? Why or why not? 
4. There is a promise in 1 John 1:9 worth applying to your life. Do you have trouble believing and applying this to your own life?
5. A man waits 44 years to pay his parking ticket. 44 years! That is a long time. If you could sit down with this man, what would say to him from God’s Word about this and why?

Scripture To Meditate On: 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” (ESV).

Prayer To Pray: “Dear Jesus, I do not want to be a person you cannot use. There are sins in my life I still beat myself up and I ask You to help me to no longer do that. Jesus, please help believe that You died to bear my guilt, shame, rejection, so that I can accept Your righteousness, forgiveness and glory in My life. Help me to not harden my heart to Your convicting Holy Spirit of my own sin so that I will repent to You. I ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen!”

I love you Southside! — Pastor Kelly