First and foremost, I will like
to ask you this simple objective question.
What
is the driving force in your life? (Rick warren).
(a) Fear (b) Materialism (c) Anger (d) Guilt (e) All of the above.
Everyone’s life is driven by
something at certain point in life. Many are driven by fear, anger, problem,
pressure, guilt etc. A life that is been driven by guilt spend his/her entire
life running from regrets and manipulated by memories. Most of the time they
allow their past to control their future and continuously sabotaging their own
success and having this feeling of blaming themselves. Guilt also causes one to regret the way his/her life is lived. A guilt driven life may say: “If only I
could start life over again, how many things I will do differently.” Guilt has caused many to confess Jesus
Christ as their personal lord and savior more than once and also causes answers
to prayers to be delayed.
A lady once asked, can I really
be a friend of God? Not even waiting for my answer she replied immediately
saying no way! She lamented. I quickly asked her why? She replied, saying: “I
feel so inferior and so unworthy of anyone liking me, I even avoid praying to
God because I don’t think I deserve being in his presence.” This shows another
action which resulted from been guilty.
Deep
inside you, you may feel totally unworthy of God’s friendship, while you may
cherish the idea of being a friend of God, you think such is unattainable for
you. At times, your past act of sins may make you feel unworthy of even approaching
God not to talk of having friendship with him.
A Christian friend once told me that
“before coming to appreciate godly ways, I was infested with nearly every
sinful and hurtful deed.” However, what he later learnt from his study of Bible
made him realize the grief and disappointment he was causing God. He further
explained: “each bible study meeting made at least one or more of my flaws
apparent to me, he also said”, he could not foresee God’s forgiveness of his
seemingly endless sins when he could not even forgive himself. This helps me to
conclude that: “for each sin we commit, guilt is brought upon us.”
On
the other hand, you might have had a good relationship with God, but because of
your weakness, fall into serious sins, it can make you feel so ashamed, making
the pain and guilt become
unbearable.
Perhaps, you find yourself in a
situation similar to these entire scenarios. Listen, there is still hope: you
can have God as your friend and still continue having that relationship with
him.
What
if you fall into the company of people whose life are driven by GUILT?
It is true that sinful acts can
prevent one from enjoying the goodness of God. Fortunately, our loving father
has taken the initiative to help us. You may be surprised that God recommends
his own love to us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for
us.(Romans 5:8): “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that
while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”
Jesus
Christ also revealed his mission on earth to us in Matthew 20:28 and Mark
10:45. “Even
as the son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give
his life a ransom for many”.
Before
coming to appreciate God’s standards and develop a relationship with Him,
youths like myself have also engaged in gross wrongdoings. Yet, through Jesus’
ransom sacrifice; I was forgiven of all past sins.
Oh, maybe what always comes up in
your mind is the bible verse that says: “the wages of sin is death”. Yes the wages of sin is death
but not when all your sins are already forgiven and the principle of Apostle
Paul in 2 Corinthians 6: 17-18 is applied. “wherefore come out from among them, and
be ye separate, saith the lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will
receive you, and will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and
daughters, saith the lord Almighty”. The Bible also says, “What
happiness for those whose guilt has been forgiven! What relief for those who
have confessed their sins and God has cleared their record” (psalm
32:1-2). The Bible
also speaks about death as an enemy that will be destroyed in 1corinthians
15:26. The ones who will remain God’s enemies are those that continue
with and in their sins. Paul made us to know in Romans 5:10 that, “we
were God’s enemies but he made us his friend through the death of his son”.
How touching is it to know that if a
person turns from his/her past wrongdoing and genuinely repent, God is
willing to receive him/her into is favor as a friend.
Furthermore, considering the Bible’s
account of Manasseh, do you remember him? He was a king in ancient Judah then,
who was taught by Hezekiah, the same way you and I had been taught to love and
fear God. Manasseh did on the grand scale what was bad in the sight of God but
God never left him, God kept speaking to him and his people to desist but they
paid no attention. Just like we all did to God and he kept on finding ways to
bring us back to Him. As an expression of God’s judgment, Manasseh was taken to
Babylon as a prisoner (2 chronicle 31:20, 21; 33:1-6, 10, and 11).
The same way many people are today imprisoned by the devil. You may want to
learn from what Manasseh did, he reflected on his past deeds and compared them
with what he remembered about God’s law and was overwhelmed with guilt and begged for forgiveness. He
humbled himself before God and kept praying to him. Then God was entreated by
him, he heard his request for favor and restored him to his kingship.
This may be shocking, but the father
of tender mercies, is always willing to allow repentant sinner to draw close to
him again. Manasseh had this mercy and through his personal experience now came
to know that God is the true God that forgives our past wrong doings. (2
chronicle 33:12, 13 and 2 Corinthians 1:3)
If God could take Manasseh back,
surely he would also allow a wayward and guilty filled person like you to
regain your relationship with him if you will humble yourself, show genuine
repentance, confess your sins and confess Jesus as your personal lord and
savior. (1
john 1:9): “if we
confess
our sins, he is Faithfull and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.” Our God is the God that will not
for all time keep finding fault, neither will he to time indefinitely keep
resentful. (Psalm 103:9).
I would like you to reflect on your
past deed and sum up all the time you have wasted, thinking about the ways
things could have been, but remember that there is no way you can undo what has
happened. So, why remain guilty and full of regrets? Happily, we worship a
merciful God who warmly invites those who have left him to return, remember
Jesus’ Parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). Why not accept God’s
invitation and follow the principle of Paul afterward (2 Corinthian 6:17, 18)
and enjoy the relationship of father to son/daughter from God.
Amen. I so agree honey. Yes guilt will make us unhappy if we don't confess our sin we done
ReplyDelete