How to Deal Effectively with Feeling Guilty
When we go astray, yield ourselves to lesser things, and fall short of even our own standards, is there grace or a way back from that? Each one of us has had experiences that left us feeling guilty for one reason or another and needing to find ways to deal with that guilt. It’s a common reality for most. It’s one thing to feel guilty and quite another to deal effectively and meaningfully with those feelings of guilt. There are many ways to try to deal with feelings of guilt, including minimizing or dismissing those feelings, or trying to bury them and deny they even exist. This, however, isn’t healthy, and it can backfire. It’s important to make sense of your feelings of guilt and learn how to address those feelings appropriately. The Anatomy of Guilt Why is it that we feel guilty when we witness or participate in certain behaviors? Is it just a vestige of an outdated morality, or is there something real and present that requires our attention? Feelings of guilt are a profound and relatively common human experience. Guilt is connected with feelings of having failed to attain an objective standard, such as God’s revealed purposes for one’s life. Feeling guilt can weigh heavily on one’s heart, and that guilt can filter into and affect every aspect of one’s life. When a person is aware of God’s will for their life but falls painfully short of it, it can leave them feeling distressed. A better understanding of guilt, the function it plays in one’s life, and how to leverage faith to handle it effectively can make a huge difference in well-being and one’s journey with the Lord. Guilt and feelings of guilt arise for various reasons, and some of these are connected to clear wrongdoing. [...]
