To come out of guilt, we will need to pull ourselves together so we can see the wood from the trees. We must realize that the feeling of guilt is just a pointer and not the real problem. If we, therefore, go all out to get rid of the feeling without resolving the problem that caused the feeling, we become self-deluded.
“Guilt is not a response to anger; it is a response to one’s own actions or lack of action. If it leads to change then it can be useful, since it is then no longer guilt but the beginning of knowledge. Yet all too often, guilt is just another name for impotence, for defensiveness destructive of communication; it becomes a device to protect ignorance and the continuation of things the way they are, the ultimate protection for changelessness.” AUDRE LORDE
A wrong approach to guilt will always get us stuck to our past, guilt can deny and rob us of the power and motivation to leave yesterday and pursue tomorrow today. It can prevent us from seeing that there is light at the end of the tunnel; that a bright tomorrow is right ahead of us. It will deny us the power to move into desired future that God has in mind for us.
We must come to the point where we realize that being emotionally down will not do us any good. We will need to find out exactly what the problem is to avoid chasing shadows. We need to be honest about our situation and avoid going into denial. We must face our fears and ask ourselves honest questions. We must brace up and come to terms with the issues at stake. What exactly is the problem? Where has there been an error, sin or misdemeanor? What options are there to solve the problem? What specifically has to be done to resolve the issues on ground?
We must take time to discover the specific issues that has led us to the state of guilt. Once we discover the issues at stake, we must confront the issues headlong. We can never solve any problem if we refuse or shy away from it.
If, in the process of sorting out the issues at stake we discover that the problem is not ours but someone else’s, than we must hands off and give the problem to the person concerned.
If we cannot find the way out of guilt by ourselves, than we need to seek external help. Guilt, many times, can be too heavy a burden to carry – we need help.
“My guilt overwhelms me – it is a burden too heavy to bear.” Psalm 38:4 New Living Translation
The ultimate and surest solution to guilt is God. We need to go to God and pour our hearts to Him.
“Then I let it all out; I said, I’ll make a clean breast of my failures to God suddenly the pressure was gone – my guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared.” Psalm 32:5 The Message.
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Concluded
and then