“For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” Psalm 103:14
Day 6: Scrub Away Guilt
Has guilt become an unwelcome house guest in your daily life?
Do you move from task to task in your day, with the weight of guilt tugging at your mind and heart?
Constant guilt is no way to thrive happily in your life, so that's what we'll be purging today.
As with all negative issues, guilt robs us of joy and steals away our peace.
Where does guilt come from?
It might begin in your own mind… wanting to please others and be of service, but guilt can also be shaped by how we were raised.
Did your parents give you the gift of NOT guilting you?
If they did guilt you, take comfort in the fact that this was likely learned from their parents before them.
This spring, bring in the fresh air of true inner peace by purging out the guilt that’s daily cluttering up your mind. Clear your soul of the constant guilt that robs you of daily joy and peace.
One very much-needed spring cleaning task is scrubbing and polishing away unnecessary guilt and claiming a joyful, victorious Christian life so that you can be a good encouragement to other Christians and a testimony to the lost, dying world.
Everyone feels a twinge of guilt from time to time. We want to do and be our best. We have expectations to live up to and people who need us to give our very best.
Is all guilt bad?
Some guilt can be healthy; for instance, guilt prevents us from being entirely self-serving. The feeling of guilt holds us accountable to other people and to our commitments and promises.
But… there is much guilt that is unhealthy, and that is what we will be trying to scrub and purge away.
Journal Exercise: Free Yourself from Guilt Today
For today's journal exercise, we're going "on location" with our journal. Even if you don't normally carry a pen and pad around with you, stash yours in your purse, backpack, or briefcase.
Next time you have a free moment, such as on your lunch or coffee break, pull out your pen and paper.
Spend some time thinking about what you felt guilty about today, and why.
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Was your guilt justified?
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Did your guilt come from within? Or was the guilty feeling induced by something that someone else said to you?
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What did you hope to do (or not do) that may have caused the guilt to occur?
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Sit with your feeling of guilt for a bit. Allow it to wash over you. Then envision the tug of guilt like a small child pulling at your skirt, finally easing up and subsiding.
If you could personify guilt, what would he or she look like? Write out or maybe even draw a detailed portrayal of guilt.
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What would you say to your guilt if you could?
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Stand together with your guilt, then write down some parting words to your guilty feelings, saying a gentle farewell or “goodbye”.
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Take Action: Set Your Intention
Sometimes we have a valid reason to feel guilty. Failure is a key ingredient in causing guilt, but remember failure is not permanent. We can learn from our failures and use them as an asset to become stronger from what we’ve learned.
When we failed to live up to responsibility, it can leave us hanging our heads in shame. When we hurt someone else, it can really weigh heavily on our hearts in guilt. Learn to forgive yourself as Christ has asked us to forgive others.
“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesian 4:32
On the other side of the coin, if we are a people pleaser, we will end up feeling guilt on a regular basis. Nobody can please everyone all the time. In fact, we need to let go of being people pleasers.
There is only one person we should strive to please… and that is God. As Paul said, “For to me to live is Christ…” (Philippians 1:21a)
Simplify your life by making your one, sole purpose and priority in pleasing God and building a good relationship with Him.
Today, set your intention to purge away weighty guilt by placing your focus on pleasing God. And remember He is ever merciful, forgiving, and loving to you and me.
Write about your personal intentions. What areas do you need to improve, and what areas do you need to let go of guilt?
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Now, write about your intentions to please only God. (Mention His mercies and forgiveness.)
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Bible Verses to Reflect Upon:
(See if you can identify in each verse below “why” it was selected in helping you and I purge away guilt.)
Psalms 40:11- “Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.”
Psalms 103:8 – “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.”
Psalms 103:11 & 12 - “For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”
Psalm 103:14 – “For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.”
Isaiah 26:3 - “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”
Micah 7:19 – “He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”
Luke 9:62 – “And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
Romans 5:1 – “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”
Romans 8:1 – “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
II Corinthians 10:5 – “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”
Philippians 4:8 – “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
James 4:7 – “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
I Peter 4:8 – “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”
1 Peter 5:7 – “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
2 Peter 3:9 – “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 2:1 – “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:”
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