Guilt is a sensation familiar to us all. Even though we may tag it in different ways — a troubled conscience, feeling guilty for an offense, or a sense of responsibility for a regretful action — guilt is a disturbing emotion and one often hard to shake. It can feel like a dark shadow following us around, demanding we give it our devotion and making it hard to focus on everything or anyone else fully. Guilt diverts our peace and desire; it calls, it irritates, and it troubles us. Try as we may in different ways, it can be challenging to push out of our feelings and thoughts.
Though guilt at its core is an emotional and a correct term full of meaning and purpose, it often is grouped with another word: shame. Shame and guilt are so commonly used together in thought and discussion, we may mistake these terms as synonymous, but that dilutes their meaning. Until guilt and shame are appropriately named, set apart, and defined in our thoughts, our souls will continue to feel stuck.
DISTINGUISHING THE DIFFERENCES
There is a change between guilt and shame. Considering this can free us of unnecessary confusion and help us find a way to existing unrestricted in our hearts and souls, to experience real peace and rest.
At Emerge Counseling Ministries in Akron, Ohio, weekly, we counsel people of all ages and from a wide variation of life experiences. One of the most common soul trials people face is overwhelming feelings of guilt and shame. One of our counselors, Mark Loomis, says that “individuals often don’t understand what ‘guilt’ truly is. Sin comes when we make a mistake, and we feel bad about that mistake (for example, I was rude to that person.)” In this way, guilt is a gift, a soul signal that alerts us when we need to deal with something we have done that hurt someone else. According to 1 John 1:9, the suitable response when we feel guilt is apparent: we need to admit our sin, possibly say sorry to the offended person, and then move on with life, leave-taking the blame behind.
While healthy guilt can lead to our healing and open us up in our connection with God and others, shame can shut us miserable. In her famous TED Talk, author Brene Brown says, “Shame is a focus on self,” while “guilt is a focus on behavior.” While guilt acknowledges, “I did something bad,” shame takes it much further and imagines, “I am bad.”
The words guilt or guilty are starts over 180 times in the Bible. Sin is when a good part of ourselves judges something terrible that we have done or said. It is a paralyzing sensation in the courtroom of our consciences that take hold of our attention. However, it can alert us to a sin we have committed toward God or others. However, shame is something entirely different.
Emerge counselor Jessica Smith says the hard thing with shame is that it brings with it “no saving path.” She cites Genesis 3:9-13 when God approached Adam and Eve, who were hiding in shame. In this iconic instance, shame rapidly turned to blame. Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the serpent (i.e., Satan), but all the while the Lord was calling upon the couple to confess their guilt. Instead of admitting their sin, however, they chose to pass the blame. We do the same to this day. “That’s why we need a Savior,” Jessica says. “We don’t need to carry the blame, but to admit our sin and be relieved.”
Consider the differences between guilt and shame:
• Sin is about conviction.
• Shame is about condemnation.
• Guilt is about confession.
• Shame is about blaming.
• Guilt is about recognizing the truth that we have done something wrong.
• Shame is a debilitating feeling that we are wrong.
• Guilt is a sense of something right, but perhaps challenging to face.
• Shame is always linked to a lie.
Eventually, shame is a hard taskmaster that can reduce our sense of how much God loves us. However, honest guilt is not roughly that should ever keep us away from God or from a sense of mercy. On the contrary, guilt is the bright conviction and emotional awareness of sin we have committed that wake up us to the need for revelation and the path toward discovery of God’s full forgiveness and freedom.
FROM GUILT TO GOD
So, the next time, your morality cries “guilty!“, stop and ask God to show you the truth about yourself and your movements. Then, remember, “if we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).” Case closed. And, after you have confessed and prayed, if you can’t shake the guilt feelings in your heart, identify this: “If [you] still feel guilty, remember God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything (1 John 3:20, NLT).”
If you have already done all these things and still feel the heaviness of guilt, it may be stretch to talk with a pastor or counselor or respected Christian friend about it. In such a situation, God may want to express his words of comfort, forgiveness, and healing to you through the voice and care of another Christ-follower.
The Rock, Your Place to Belong
At the Rock, you can belong before you believe. Use the links to the right to begin your relationship with Rock Church. If you are local to Fargo, click the “free movie ticket” button to the right and check out one of our services, every Sunday at 10 AM, at West Acres Cinema. If you are not local to our area, that’s okay. There are all kinds of ways that you can participate in the happenings at Rock Church. We have many people that only interact with our church online. Use the “become a friend” button to be included in everything we are doing.
Thank you AG News and Robert Crosby for sharing this.
