Feeling guilty

Feeling Guilty

Bible :1 John 3:16-20

If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he
knows everything (V.20).

Reading

God knows us better than we know ourselves. He’s knows all about our issues, our anxieties and the ways we keep messing up again and again. He knows that we struggle to forget and move on from the shame of the stuff we’ve done wrong. He knows the fights we have with our parents, the loneliness we feel even with our family and friends, and the people who pressurise us into doing
stupid and dangerous things. He knows it all. We look at that list and we judge ourselves. We fill up with guilt and stress. We can’t get over the failures, the problems and the huge obstacles in our way. We’re weighed down with the pain and the regrets. “Our hearts condemn us” (1 JOHN 3:20)—we look at ourselves as worthless and useless. But here’s the thing: “God is greater than our hearts” (V.20). If we trust Jesus, God sees us (even clearer than we do, warts and all) and He loves us. He doesn’t condemn us. In fact, John tells us, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us” (V.16). Jesus paid for all our mess in full. There is now nothing for us to be feel ashamed of, afraid of or guilty about. God knows my shame when I fail and is quick to forgive when I admit it to Him (1 JOHN 1:9). This wonderful truth gives us rest when we are tempted to give ourselves a hard time. There is no reason to wallow in guilt—Jesus has set us free from it all.

GUILT IS A WEIGHT GOD NEVER MEANT
FOR US TO CARRY.

YouTh Edition – Our Daily Bread Ministries