Psalms: Dealing with Difficult EmotionsSample

Dealing with Guilt 

While playing with his grandmother’s duck, a young boy accidentally killed it. As he was trying to cover it up, his sister caught him. This began a cycle of guilt and shame which was taken to good advantage by his sister. Every time she needed some chore to be done, all she had to do was mention to this young boy, “Remember the duck…”

We all struggle with guilt in some form or the other. Guilt is a result of not living up to God’s standards and breaking His commands. Guilt is also a result of not being able to live up to our own standards. How often have we given up on our own resolutions. Guilt conjures up shame, and we do our best to hide both. 

The best way to deal with guilt is to resolve it. 

When we sin against God or against others, we have to admit our sin. Even when we seem to be innocent, there is always something wrong from our side which may not be clear at that moment. When we acknowledge our own sin and realize it, we then repent of our sin. 

True repentance is not just a feeling of remorse. We don’t give excuses, defend our actions, blame, downplay, pretend, or compare ourselves with others. True repentance involves owning up to our sin and seeking God’s mercy. 

When I realize and repent, then renewal follows. God cleans our heart and makes it new. He renews our Spirit and restores fellowship and joy. 

When we repent, we remind ourselves of the gospel. God is gracious according to His loving kindness, compassion, and grace. How is it possible for God to blot out our transgressions, but not blot us out completely? It was because Jesus took our sin upon Himself. God’s face was hidden from His own Son when He cried from the cross so that the Father’s face can be hidden from our sin when we cry to Him through Christ. 

We resolve our guilt by going to the cross where our sins are hidden in its shadow so that we can be found in His light.