Get rid of excess guilt (10 mins.)
The Bible says that Christians are in a race, those of us who cross the finish line will receive the prize of eternal life. For this reason, we have to make every effort to continue running, since we have never been so close to the end. Hence the importance of removing excess guilt, since these can become overwhelming, overwhelming, and we can feel like a very heavy burden. Some brothers have become depressed thinking that Jehovah will never forgive them.
If we are too hard on ourselves this could cause sadness to lead us to despair and discouragement. So biblical principles can help us let go of the things that weigh us down, that crush us. So one more week we find ourselves reflecting on one more topic in the Bible and today we are going to reflect on this topic, the weight of excess guilt and how to free ourselves from it. What does the word of God tell us about it? In Psalm 38 verses 3 to 8 he says:
LET'S READ PSALMS 38:3-8.
My whole body is sick* because of your indignation. There is no peace in my bones because of my sin.a 4 For my errors are on my head; They are a heavy burden, too heavy for me. 5 My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness. 6 I am anguished and depressed beyond measure; I'm sad all day walking around there. 7 I feel like I'm burning inside; my whole body is sick.8 I have been paralyzed, totally undone; I make deep moans* for the anguish of my heart.
So in this text that we have just read, we find a vivid portrait of the anguish that the weight of sin can cause in our lives. The psalmist cries out to God expressing the suffering he feels in his body and in his soul because of his mistakes. He tells us about wounds that fester due to foolishness and an anguish that consumes him inside and leaves him paralyzed.
The description we find in this text is powerful and shows us the harsh reality of what it is to carry guilt. And we can all feel guilty at some point in our lives, it may be for past mistakes or for wrong decisions we made even after knowing the truth. In First John 3:19 and 20, we are reminded that although our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and he knows all things.
Jehovah is so good to us that when we feel very distressed he tells us, calm down, here I am to help you. Despite that, sometimes feelings of guilt are not very pleasant, but they can be useful. Why? Because they can help us rectify our course and make the firm decision not to repeat our mistakes. However, guilt in its right measure can be useful and can lead us to sincere repentance and the determination to rectify our path as Hebrews 12:12-13 teaches us. Yes you found it. Please accompany me with the reading.
LET'S READ HEBREWS 12:12,13.
So strengthen your hands that hang down and your knees that are weak, 13 and continue to make straight the paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated but may be healed.
Now, we must strengthen ourselves spiritually so as not to give in again. Since afterwards, perhaps we could still continue to feel guilty and think that Jehovah, although he has shown us mercy and forgiven us, we still have that excess of guilt and this could hurt us a lot, David felt.
But what happens when this guilt becomes too great a weight, when we feel constantly overwhelmed by our lack, even after we have sought God's forgiveness? In Psalm 31:10 and Psalms 38 3 to 4, we see how this excess of guilt can consume us and affect our relationship with God and with others.
Analyzing these two Psalms we can notice that David felt very sad, probably this caused him a feeling of worthlessness and his conscience had affected him. We can remember the words of a sister who felt trapped in a cycle of guilt and hopelessness convinced that she did not deserve the love and goodness of God, this is an experience that we have in the information to extract this speech this week.
The sister of the experience says that she thought it was best not to exert herself in Jehovah's service because she probably had no hope. Many of us can identify with those words. But it is essential that we do not fall into excess guilt, because this is what Satan would love, to make us believe that we are worthless. But Jehovah is so wise that when we are downcast, distressed or depressed by some evil, let us look at 2 Corinthians 2:5,7.
LET'S READ CORINTHIANS 2:5-7.
7 Now you must forgive him kindly and comfort him so that he does not feel overwhelmed by being too sad.
8 Therefore, I advise you to confirm to him that you love him.
As we observe, Jehovah lifts us up with good words and forgives us, that is something that comforts and strengthens us. So let us not live dwelling on the mistakes of the past, let us propose from now on to use our lives to please Jehovah. But what can we do in a situation like this? Well, we see that it is essential to remember that we are not a hopeless case in the eyes of Jehovah. Although Satan wants us to believe otherwise, God sees us with compassion and offers us his forgiveness generously as Isaiah 55:7 teaches us and as detailed in Psalm 39 verse 4 and 5 that we are going to read.
LET'S READ PSALMS 39:4,5.
“O Jehovah, help me to know what end I will have and what will be the number of my days, so that I may know how short my life is. 5 That's right, the days you have given me are few, and before you my whole life is nothing. Without a doubt, every man, no matter how confident he may seem, is just a mere breath.
The days of our lives seem few and fleeting. The psalmist David, when meditating on the brevity of life, felt moved to ask Jehovah in prayer to let him know the end and measure of his days. He wanted to know what this really meant, and thus he was able to understand how fleeting it was. It was his existence.
In this text we find a prayer from David that reflects the brevity and fragility of what our life is. David recognizes his dependence on God and longs to live in a way that pleases his Creator. He reminds us that our days on this earth are limited and we must take advantage of it wisely, always seeking God's will in everything we do and although it may be difficult to pray when we feel overwhelmed by guilt, we should not stop doing it as Psalms 39:12 encourages us to do.
LET'S READ PSALMS 39:12.
Hear my prayer, oh Jehovah, hear my cries for help. Do not be insensitive to my tears. Because for you I am just a foreign resident, a traveler who is passing through, like all my ancestors.
As we can see, we must go to Jehovah, go to God in prayer, expressing our anguish and trusting in his understanding and mercy. Although our words may fail, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and helps us in our weaknesses as Romans 8:26 teaches us, which we are going to read.
LET'S READ ROMANS 8:26.
Likewise, the spirit also comes to our aid when we are weak.a Because the problem is that sometimes we don't know what we need to ask for in prayer, but the spirit itself prays for us with unspoken laments.
In our activity guide for this week, we can see an illustrative image, which teaches us that if we carry the burden of excess guilt on ourselves, it will become heavier and heavier, but we do remember that Jehovah generously forgives others. Sinners who have repented will have a clear conscience and will be able to enjoy a close relationship with our God, as we can see in the image.
So how can we free ourselves from the weight of excess guilt? firstly recognizing that we are all sinners and that only through God's forgiveness can we find true peace and liberation, secondly by persevering in prayer and trusting in the goodness of God to transform our lives and finally always remembering that we are loved and forgiven. for our heavenly father who calls us to live in freedom and in Communion with him. So, brothers, may these words encourage us, may these words strengthen us in our journey of faith so that we can leave behind excess guilt and live in the fullness of God's forgiveness and goodness.
As we noted, it is important to pray to Jehovah, to make him a prayer of supplication, of lament. In this way we have the confidence that Jehovah will help us, it is important to tell Jehovah how we feel, let us make him the best friend we have in times of distress, there are brothers who have seen that after erring, prayer is what It has given you confidence that Jehovah can lighten our burden and as Jehovah himself expresses it, if our excess guilt is heavy, let us cast our burden on Jehovah and he will strengthen us and give us the relief we need.
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