Guilt? Not Me!

I don’t know about you, but I struggle with guilt.
• Why didn’t I …?
• I should have known better than to ….
• Why can’t I ever get … right?
• Why didn’t I just keep my mouth shut when …?
• I should have … when … happened.
I can really beat myself up sometimes when my emotions were in control and my intellect was not engaged. Those are times my sin nature wins out over my love for God and my obedience to his directives.

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24 NIV

So why do I perseverate on the hurts and frustrations of the past? Why do I not allow God to heal my emotional hurts? Why do I insist on wallowing in my misery? Why do I think I can fix things myself?

“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Romans 6:4 NIV

So since the concept of burial implies a barrier between the past and the now, my past actions should be put to death and a new life begun. That means I must change my thinking about events in the past.
• Memories and discouragements of past failures
• Hurt and bitterness relating to unjust treatment from someone
• Dreams which went awry
• Jealousy for another person’s accomplishments or recognition
When I put specific and persistent thoughts under each of the above topics, I was shocked at how much I have been holding onto negative thoughts about the past which should have been dealt with and buried long ago. Why is it that even good people who love the Lord, like me, fail to recognize that we are new creations and thought patterns established by conforming to the world are sin? For, the types of thoughts mentioned above are definitely not from God.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV

So I must put away my former and current thought patterns and emotional reactions toward others, God, and myself. I need to rid myself of guilt feelings by giving them to God. Then I need to ask God to give me something to replace the guilt feelings. Holding onto guilt is the sin of not believing what God says.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 NIV

Lord, forgive my unbelief. I am struggling with burying my worldly patterns of thought. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, change my thought patterns. Make me able to bury the past and to focus on joyfully serving you today.