Transparency Item: The Perspectives section of the Graphic is comprised of articles based on opinion. This is the opinion and perspective of the writer.
What I’ve learned about guilt is how it can completely ruin you. It can make you second guess who you are. It can cause physical changes to your body and a complete mental shift.
This is what happened to me over the summer. I had big plans to return to the Graphic this semester with story ideas such as: how isolation can lead to transformation, or leaning on God when the enemy attacks your mind.
Unfortunately, things change because we are human. We sometimes think we’ve figured things out but then we realize we haven’t — and it can be crushing.
We create goals for ourselves, but when we don’t achieve them we become overly self-critical. What I’m learning is that it’s OK to give yourself grace.
This walk with the Lord was never going to be perfect. There were always going to be mess-ups along the way. Those mistakes can be discouraging but we have to persevere.
CHANGE
You can’t change anything that you’ve done in the past. All you can do is try your best not to do it again in the future.
It’s important in times of guilt to lean on Christ, ask for forgiveness and show repentance. Turning away from Christ is what you don’t want to do when you feel guilty.
Stepping away from Christ can leave you more vulnerable to spiritual attacks and it leaves you stuck in your own thoughts.
We’ve all made choices we wish we could take back. They can cause serious guilt that can last for days, weeks, months or even years.
The past can haunt you every second. It can make you question who you are and your worth in Christ Jesus.
It can leave you wondering “Why did I make that choice” or “Why did I not consider the consequences of what could happen if I did this?” It is extremely frustrating.
The thing is, constantly ruminating over the wrong decision isn’t going to change the fact that it happened. You can’t wish for that time back.
And it’s not healthy to constantly dwell on the matter either. Don’t waste time. Be present to the moment you are in.
It’s important to have a healthy view of why it happened — what led to the choice and how can I prevent it from happening again?
Guilt is a natural emotion after a bad choice. It shows that we have a conscience, and we know when something isn’t right.
But we can’t let that guilt define the rest of our future. We can process that guilt, then learn to let it go.
It’s not beneficial to have it if we want to serve in God’s kingdom. Guilt is not from God, it’s from the enemy.
The devil’s goal is to kill, steal and destroy. He would love to make you feel guilty long enough to distract you from the purpose God has for you.
You have to get over your guilt before it overtakes you. Learn to forgive yourself, ask God for forgiveness, repent for your sins and move forward.
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Contact Timothy Gay via email: timothy.gay@pepperdine.edu
