Grief And Shame: How Does God Feel About it?
What The Bible Says About Guilt And Shame
If I were to ask any of you, if there is anything at any time in your life that you would like to have a do over, I bet everyone would respond that there was at least one thing they’d like to change. Some of you would even respond that there are many things they’d like to change. I’m one of the latter to be honest with you. I’m one of those people that had to learn the hard way. When we feel guilt and shame, we tend to punish ourselves over and over again, with our bad choices and activities, trying to end those awful feelings. Hopefully. What I have to say here will help someone…anyone…or even everyone who hears or reads this lesson.
In Webster’s Dictionary, the definition of guilt is: 1. The state of having done a wrong or committed an offence. 2. A feeling of self-reproach from believing that one has done a wrong. Shame is defined as: 1. A painful feeling of guilt for improper behavior. 2. Dishonor or disgrace. 3. Something regrettable or outrageous. That is the technicality of those feelings, and as you can see they’re pretty much the same. I had to deal with feeling that way for a very, very long time. Here is how I was healed from those feelings. Becoming a Christian was the first step for me to begin that healing. Here is what the Bible has to say about it.
In Romans 2:14 & 15 For when the Gentiles which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves. 15. Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts. Their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another. This means , that no matter who you are, where you live, or your culture, there is a moral standard that we all live by. God gave us our conscience to let us know when we’ve done wrong. Christians call those wrongs sin, iniquity, or transgressions, as does God.
Hebrews 9:22 says. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without the shedding of blood is no remission. The sacrificing of millions of animals, as in the Old Testament, could not remove our sins. It could only cover us until the ultimate sacrifice. The Son of God, Jesus Christ, has washed away our sins with his sacrifice.
John the Baptist described it perfectly, when he saw, Jesus and said: Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world, (John 1:20). Some other Biblical references for you are: Isaiah 38:17; 43:25; Jeremiah 31:34; and Micah 7:19, just to name a few.
The last lesson that I covered for you, was on Forgiveness. For yourself and others. I’ve heard it said that the best way to deal with your enemies, is to live well. They won’t be able to stand the fact that you are happy despite all that they’ve done. I didn’t mean to bring up our enemies, it just goes along with “Forgiveness”. Right now, I beg of you to forgive yourself of those things that cause you guilt or shame. Pray and meditate over the verses that I’ve given you. There are many other verses in the Bible that may help you, so if what I’ve given you doesn’t do the trick, start digging in your Bible and you will find the verses that will help you to accomplish what I pray you can achieve.