You weren’t made to be battened down by guilt.
GUILT
Deb Peacock
People are feeling a constant heaviness of guilt at this time that is general and not specific to something they did wrong. It is as though everything is wrong and feelings of guilt are on everything that you’ve done or every situation you face. This is an enemy tactic -setting you up for guilt especially guilt that is not specific and not yours to hold. You might have found yourself saying, “I’m getting everything wrong” or “I can’t get anything right, I just feel driven by guilt.” It’s an awful feeling and it is hard to even see where the guilt is coming from, why it is there and where it is from. It is disproportionate to the things that are even happening. It is like you are feeling responsible for everything going on and everything that is going wrong.
EXPOSURE AND DISAGREEMENT IS FIRST:
The point of exposing this is because once exposed we can realise we don’t have to keep feeling it and unconsciously joining in with it. Remember that we don’t live under condemnation but under grace and living guilt ridden is not Gods way. If you have done something wrong and hurtful take steps to take responsibility for it and apologise as part of that. For the rest, it’s time to remember God’s grace and disagree with guilt.
HOLD YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES ONLY:
The next step is to see whose responsibility is each issue that you are feeling so heavy and condemned by. Is it actually your responsibility? Part of the guilt is causing people to think it is their fault due to situations being their responsibility when they are simply not. If Satan can deceive you into thinking it is your responsibility for a situation to go right, he has you at fault and condemned. Ask yourself whose responsibility is this?
LETTING GO
Letting go of situations and people you have mistakenly taken responsibility for is important. We release it or the person into Gods hands. It can be difficult as though we are letting them down and even scary that they might be angry and cause even more guilt feelings. It’s important to know that we aren’t made to hold the weight of things that are outside our sphere of influence. If we do this with a person we are actually encroaching on their space and taking away from them being able to live as who they are. Living as who we are, in our calling, means taking responsibility for all the things that come with that and so we feel a sense of satisfaction when we get to function within our sphere of influence.
PRAY
Be alert to the tactics being played and pray for wisdom to see what guilt is unfounded, what guilt is from wrongly holding responsibility and what guilt needs to be addressed. You weren’t made to be battened down in guilt. Jesus is the answer and so we get to walk with head up in freedom.
Blessings
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2