Greetings Dear Reader,
I was raised in an environment that both religiously and
socially held guilt in the highest esteem.
Whilst I believe that the feeling of guilt has a proper place in the
redemption process, it is neither to be the prime mover nor the whip.
I can recall teachers insisting that I feel the proper depth
of guilt over transgressions I had committed.
I can recall being instructed to feel guilty over this or that thing and
to let said guilt rule my choices.
It seems to me that the Gospel of Christ teaches the
opposite. The purpose of genuine guilt
is to help us see our need for forgiveness and redemption. It is not to be a chain upon our souls but a
motivator toward freedom. The freedom
found in forgiveness is to be the thing that shows us that our guilt had
weight.
When I feel guilty I should feel in from within and not from
the insistence of and outward source. Genuine guilt leads to conviction and
actions of repentance. This is to be
what moves me toward Christ. The stupid
human trick of imposing guilt for the purposes of compliance and the tool of
shame are not the nature of the living God.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer
who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home
owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure
store."
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I agree totally. Many years ago a loved one sent me a letter, listing all the things I had done wrong over the years.,telling me I needed to apologize. All the feelings of sadness and inadequacy came back. I had done so many things over the years to be abetted person. Guilt was
ReplyDeleteLaid upon me. I think my GOD has forgiven me.