Have you been struggling with guilt and shame?
Do you feel like these feelings have been consuming you?
Or maybe, you have been feeling numb and don't feel guilty for things that you should feel guilty for?
Trust me... I've been there.
First, let's address some things that we as Christians may feel guilty or ashamed of.
1. Our past
2. What we've done (in the present)
3. Our thoughts
If we don't release our guilt and shame and lean on God, we can get so consumed in our thoughts and feel worthless, useless, and feel like "what's the point?" This is exactly what Satan wants. He wants us to be so consumed in these thoughts of guilt and shame and for them to cause us to turn away from God. Or for us to possibly even act in ways that are harmful to ourselves and others. On the other hand, Satan may want us to not feel guilty or ashamed of things that we've done wrong or thoughts that we've had that we should repent for.
God wants us to acknowledge our guilt, repent (he WILL forgive us,) and change our ways.
Here are some scriptures about Guilt and Shame:
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
-1 John 1: 8-10
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
-Psalm 103: 8-12
7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. -Isaiah 55:7
13 Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy. -Proverbs 28:13
In all 4 of these scriptures, the common denominator is the mercy that the Lord has. He is merciful, gracious, abounding in love, kind, just, and righteous. If we just acknowledge our guilt and confess our sins, he will have mercy on us. It doesn't matter how big our sin is or what thoughts we have racing through our head that we can't believe we are thinking, or the things that we've done in our past. As long as we acknowledge our guilt, confess our sins, and ask for forgiveness; he will have mercy on us and forgives us.
Just because we know that we know we are forgiven, doesn't mean that it's going to be easy for us to just forget about our guilt and shame because the devil is always going to be tempting us and trying to push those feelings of guilt and shame on us. Satan doesn't want us to follow the Lord, he wants us to follow him. So we really have to stay in tune with what God wants us to do; study the bible, study the 10 commandments, and pray and ask for clarity.
HERE ARE 5 STEPS TO IMPLEMENT TO HELP YOU HEAL FROM GUILT AND SHAME:
1. TELL THE DEVIL TO GO AWAY. THAT HE HAS NO PLACE THERE AND THAT THE LORD ALMIGHTY IS YOUR SAVIOR.
- This is very necessary to do, especially if the thoughts of guilt and shame have been consuming you.
2. PRAY
- Pray and ask for clarity on the things that you have been feeling guilty and ashamed of if it is conviction or condemnation.
3. LISTEN
-Sometimes God whispers so it is imperative to shut out all the noise in your mind and just listen for the answers that God is giving you.
4. REPENT (IF NECESSARY)
- Once you have gotten the clarity from God, repent if necessary
5. LET GO OF ALL THE GUILT AND SHAME FOR GOOD
- Just let go!
- You have done all that you need to do to get the clarity and be forgiven (if you did something wrong.)
- Just have peace knowing that God is in complete control and he loves you. There is nothing that you can do to make him not love you. (I pray about this daily.)
If you have been struggling at all with guilt and shame, implement these 5 steps and I'm sure they will help you just like they've helped me.
I pray that God wraps his arms around you and showers you with so much love. I pray that you gain clarity and wisdom from God and that you let go of the guilt and shame that you have been holding on to, once and for all. In Jesus's name, Amen.
I love you guys so much.
Never forget to choose faith over fear.
-Lorena Camille (Faith Fuels My Fire)
p.s. If you'd rather listen to Faith-based, business, mindset, and mental health tips, then check out my podcast. There I will share my personal experiences, stories I've never told before, and bring you along the hot mess life of mine. New episodes every week.
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