Growing from Guilt - Part Two
Friday, October 15th 2010 @ 12:35 PM
Thank you to those who sent emails and cards with birthday wishes for me. I had no idea Stephen added the part about my birthday to my blog, so you can imagine my surprise when I found out how everyone knew!
A special thanks to Head to Head ministry founder Paul A. Webb who sent me a French birthday song he so masterfully played on the piano. Paul, may God bless you and continue to use you and your wife to minister to those who have brain injuries, as well as provide support for their families. (If you know someone who has been affected by a brain injury, please visit the Head to Head ministry website at http://www.headtohead.org.)
Growing from Guilt - Part Two
Last week, I reflected upon the premise that moving on from guilt is often easier said than done. Pressing forward through the guilt and into freedom will take sincere godly reflection. The good news is Jesus is with you every step of the way! He is the One who will open your eyes to aspects of your behavior and attitudes that may not have been obvious to you before. When the Lord works in your life in this way, it is always in love and never in condemnation.
There is a word for this progression and change, and it’s called sanctification. Sanctification (the setting apart of something or someone for the holy use or purpose of God) is the process by which God’s grace transforms you. As you yield yourself to the Holy Spirit and couple that with reading the Word, the Lord changes and transforms you from the inside out. This transformation will free you from the guilt and the power of sin. Sanctification is an ongoing process for each one of us. Embrace this chance to change, to grow and to become more like Christ.
During the process of sanctification, don’t be surprised if Satan tries to discourage you with his lies. He wants you to feel guilty and will try to convince you that you’re trapped with this guilt. He will heap the blame - and just remember his tactics are lame, because lies only have power if you choose to give them power.
Quench the enemy's fiery darts with God's truth. Isaiah 55:9 states “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways.” Make up your mind to believe that God is and will bring you from guilt to freedom.
Perhaps your past is something you now feel guilty about or ashamed of. Maybe you were not walking with the Lord while raising your children and you were in a different place mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Possibly you were a single parent, involved in a difficult or unstable marriage, or simply "in the world" living under the world's standards --while raising a child at the same time. Let Jesus wash any guilt or shame from this away.
The Lord's ways are truly amazing. He actually teaches you about Himself through times of brokenness and guilt. You will experience His faithfulness and love in a deeper way. At the same time, the Lord heals you from the pain of guilt and leads you forward. He wants you to learn from your mistakes so you won't have to repeat them. Our Heavenly Father will also use you to encourage others who have battles with guilt and shame.
Over the years, Stephen and I have been blessed as we have had the opportunity to speak with many of you. Thank you for being open and sharing your stories with us. Thank you for giving us the privilege to get to know you and pray for you, your family and your prodigal. Your journeys are all so diverse, yet the Lord knows each and every detail. He doesn't want you - His child - to carry guilt. His loving kindness is always abundant to all who humbly come to Him for help.
Let's briefly look at an example of Christ's loving kindness from the Bible. In John chapter 8 as the story unfolds, the teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought a woman to Jesus and told Him she was caught having sexual relations with someone who was not her husband. They asked Him what should be done to her - as everyone there knew according to the law, she should be stoned to death. Yet Jesus, knowing not only the law but the hearts of all men, chose to exhibit great mercy, love, compassion and forgiveness.
After writing on the ground, Jesus looked up and said, “Anyone here who has never sinned can throw the first stone at her.” One by one, her accusers ended up leaving and Jesus told the woman that He did not condemn her either. Jesus instructed the woman caught in the sin of adultery to go and sin no more.
Adultery is the sin of having sex outside of marriage. Fornication is the sin of having sex between two unmarried people. The possibility that this married woman had children is very real. Jesus put the self-righteous crowd who wanted to stone this woman in their place. The words and wisdom of Christ humbled these individuals enough so that they could only turn away and not condemn her.
How did Jesus deal with this woman? He didn’t lecture her about the pain she caused her husband, her children (if she had any) or her extended family. She sinned against God first and foremost and He forgave her.
Remember, everything you go through in life can be used by God for your blessing – and His glory. Jesus is compassionate toward you and He loves you very much. The great truth is Jesus is for us - not against us. Accept His peace and let Him wash away the guilt -- and live in the freedom which Christ died to give you.
