Throughout their lives, many of God’s kids carry around a big, heavy, burlap bag called guilt. We pick up this heavy burden of guilt from many different places, don’t we? For example, we pick up the bag of guilt from:
- Failing to “measure up”
- Doing something we know we shouldn’t have
- Becoming jaded by life, circumstances, or people
- Interpreting our family upbringing negatively
- Viewing God as an angry ogre who is waiting to “get us”
Not all guilt is bad. As a matter of fact, there is some guilt that is good. In fact, my mom would argue that if guilt causes obedience, it should be considered a virtue!
Good guilt
Bad guiltworldly sorrow
- Lose our joy
- Hold onto the pain of our past
- Be blocked from receiving future blessings
- Be blinded to the forgiveness and love of God
Do you remember high school basketball games? Whenever someone from the opposing team would be called for a foul, people in the stands would start pointing and yelling, “you, you, you, you…” Depending how big the gym was, hundreds of people could be pointing and yelling it together. The goal was not to try to lead this person into repentance, the goal was to try to make them feel exposed, isolated, defeated, and get them out of their game.
The baggage of weariness pulls us down. The baggage of self-reliance leads us into error. Disappointment discourages us. Anxiety plagues us. And the big heavy burlap bag of bad/false guilt consumes hope.
The worst part was that as Peter was denying Christ, Jesus locked eyes with Him (Luke 22:61). Can you imagine looking into the disappointed eyes of Jesus and knowing it was you who disappointed Him? Afterwards, Peter took a trip – with his baggage of guilt and shame in tow. It was a guilt trip from which many of us could never recover. He quit the ministry and went back to fishing (John 21).
Peter went back to fishing, but while his boat was steady, his spirit was sinking – drowning in a sea of regret, guilt, and shame. When suddenly, he and the others heard a voice from the shore.
always
“When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ he said, ‘you know I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my lambs.’ Again Jesus said, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He answered, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Take care of my sheep.’ The third time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He said, ‘Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you’” (John 21:15-17).
Casualties of War
He is a cross pendant.
He is engraved with a unique Number.
He will mail it out from Jerusalem.
He will be sent to your Side.
Emmanuel
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