There are three types of guilt: Guilt that motivates us to change our behavior; guilt that punishes us just enough to allow us to keep doing those things we feel guilty about; and guilt for harming someone.
Disappointment for getting caught is not guilt. Some people apologize, not because they feel guilty, but because their misdeeds were discovered. We see that hand-in-the-cookie-jar apology all the time on television and over social media. It means nothing to the wrong doer or the recipients of the bad deed.
Some people try to make us feel guilty to manipulate us into doing something they want, but if we trust in ourselves and are confident in our life’s purpose we can stand strong against games other people play.
Disappointment for getting caught is not guilt. Some people apologize, not because they feel guilty, but because their misdeeds were discovered. We see that hand-in-the-cookie-jar apology all the time on television and over social media. It means nothing to the wrong doer or the recipients of the bad deed.
Some people try to make us feel guilty to manipulate us into doing something they want, but if we trust in ourselves and are confident in our life’s purpose we can stand strong against games other people play.
Some of us have a tendency to feel guilty over poor judgment or past mistakes. Bad judgment does not make us bad people. The best we can do when we have made an error in judgment is to rid ourselves of guilty feelings by learning from our mistakes. We do best when we learn from our mistakes and move on.
Forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14
If you feel guilty about something that you know is wrong there is an easy solution—STOP IT! Stop rationalizing. Stop wringing your hands. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Stop doing what you know is wrong. Stop wasting time doing wrong things. Let the guilt compel you to be strong enough to stop the wrong behavior; let it teach you how to behave the next time. Stop bad behavior and start enjoying your life and your time.
When we have harmed someone the most important step is to confess our wrong doing and ask for forgiveness from the other person. An apology doesn’t mean there is no guilt and forgiving doesn’t mean the pain is gone. Nonetheless we can seek forgiveness and ask God to heal our guilt so that we can love with a gentle heart and a strong spirit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zljYVfHdAOE
When we have harmed someone the most important step is to confess our wrong doing and ask for forgiveness from the other person. An apology doesn’t mean there is no guilt and forgiving doesn’t mean the pain is gone. Nonetheless we can seek forgiveness and ask God to heal our guilt so that we can love with a gentle heart and a strong spirit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zljYVfHdAOE