Many of us believe in God’s amazing grace, yet we carry the guilt of our past actions. We live with shame, an unnecessary emotional and spiritual burden. The weight of this on our shoulders causes us to forget that once we pray and ask for forgiveness, we are forgiven. Guilt can inhibit our relationship with God. It seeks to take away our inner peace.
Why do we continue to live with guilt even though we are forgiven the moment we confess our sins to God? How we deal with our guilt tends to reflect on our childhood. As children, we may have been punished for doing wrong or felt shame when we upset our parents.
We carry these emotions throughout life, causing us to feel that same shame when we do wrong in adulthood. Though we should always try to do the right thing, we must remember that when we make mistakes, we are forgiven the instant we turn to God. If we confess our sins, there is no need to punish ourselves.
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People also carry shame when they have not yet asked for forgiveness from the person they hurt. But it is never too late to make things right. Although God forgives us, we owe it to the person to let them know that we regret our actions. If the person is unwilling to forgive, free yourself from the stress and continue to pray for them. God’s forgiveness is instant; a human’s takes time.
We can’t let our emotions and thoughts undo God’s forgiveness. If you are troubled by something you have done in the past, pray. And if others can’t forgive you, pray for them as well, but move forward with grace.
Lord, teach me to live in the freedom and joy of Your forgiveness.
