Guilt: True or False?
- CMW
- May 15, 2016
- 1 min read
“Jesus stood up again and said to her,
‘Where are your accusers?
Didn’t even one of them condemn you?’ “
‘No, Lord,’ she said. And Jesus said,
‘Neither do I. Go and sin no more.’ ”
John 8:10–11
• My friend Sherry is saying things like this: “I worry that every- body is down on me, ready to exact their punishment for . . . I don’t know what. I just feel guilty all the time, like I have to keep justifying my right to even exist.” Danger here! A woman in the throes of false guilt is not just aware of wrong-doing, but of wrong-being. That kind of feel- ing can get so bad that it becomes a prime motivation for truly self-destructive behaviors. I must stay close to my friend today. With true guilt, when we have admitted our wrongs and experienced forgiveness, the guilt is resolved. But it takes great courage to go on and confront the feeling of wrong-being, of worthlessness at the core of our character. But believe me, it’s worth the work. For just a few moments, let yourself feel the freedom of being guilt-free.
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