Getting Passed That Pesky Guilt

by Laurie Glass

We know from reading God’s Word, that if we approach the Lord with a sincere heart and confess our sin to Him, He will forgive us. Yet we sometimes struggle with feeling guilty even after we’ve settled things with the Lord.

Many of us can relate to having some particular sin we continue to commit and struggle to refrain from it. We’ve confessed many times in hopes of getting a handle on it and yet we can’t seem to shake the guilt. We end up feeling stuck and wonder how we’ll ever break loose from this recurring sin and resulting guilt.

Perhaps you can relate. Maybe you have certain thoughts or behaviors that you know aren’t right, but you haven’t found a way to stop them. You end up feeling so badly about yourself that you just wallow in your guilt.

You’ve seen for yourself, though, that putting yourself down doesn’t help you quit what you’re doing and it doesn’t help you draw closer to the Lord.

What can you do? How about trying to get your focus off of your own mistakes and onto God’s work in your heart and becoming more like Him?

To get you started, here are some suggestions to help you leave the guilt behind and move forward.

1. Cling to the promise found in I John 1:9. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Not only does He forgive you, but He purifies you, giving you a fresh start. See His forgiveness as a way He has cleaned out your heart and made more room for Him.

2. Accept God’s forgiveness. Realize that He wants you to accept His loving gift. If you do this, there won’t be room for self degradation.

3. Ask the Lord to help you understand what draws you to the sin. Instead of feeling frustrated that you keep doing the same thing over again, get to the root of the problem and address it.

4. Make some practical changes in your life in order to distance yourself from the temptations you find so hard to resist.

5. Do some specific Bible studies to help strengthen you in the area/areas where you are vulnerable.

6. Consider talking with a counselor, pastor, or accountability partner to assist you in breaking out of the cycle of habitual sin with its lingering guilt and instead making choices that will make you more like Him. Remember that God has forgiven you.

In addition, He has given you an opportunity to put your guilt behind you when He cleansed your heart. He doesn’t want to see you stuck, but longs for you to come to Him so He can strengthen you and free you.

If you use your time and energy to focus on Him and His work in your heart instead of on your own guilt, you may be surprised at the difference it will make. Don’t let your guilt stand in the way of drawing closer to Him.