|
"A
guilty conscience is the seasoning of our daily
life."
(Paul
Tournier)
Not Guilty
It
comes in pangs, twinges, waves, and thuds.
Everyone experiences it. From family life to
Christian life, guilt is a staple diet for most of
us. We use guilt to coerce others, but find
ourselves frequently on the receiving end. At
least, it harangues us. At worst, it crushes
us.
Nearly
every circumstance in life has the capacity to
evoke guilt. We may feel guilt for being wealthy
or for being poor; for failed relationships or no
relationships; for wasting time or for
not setting aside time to waste with
family and friends.
Feelings
of guilt nudge us when we consider our prayer
lives, our devotional lives, our level of
evangelistic fervor, or our financial generosity.
We regret
missed
deadlines, failed efforts, mediocre performances,
and disappointing responses to people. We are
ashamed of our secret thoughts and embarrassed by
our spiritual
immaturity.
Guilt
sweeps over us when we think of our own sin ...
and if we're not too disturbed, we feel guilty
that we don't feel guilty.
Tournier
was correct in his 1958 analysis of the human
condition. Guilt is the seasoning of our
daily life. It abounds for most of us ... and
results in feelings of shame, unworthiness, and
inferiority. It settles deep within us like a
voracious tape-worm, and sucks the life from
us.
Many
Christians celebrate guilt. "It is the conscience
at work, gradually making us better
people." Really? The guilt most of us
experience is usually the result of cultural
expectations, not divine standards. Guilt
monopolizes us. "Go Directly to Jail. Do Not Pass
GO!" It stifles and
destroys.
Does
this prevalence of guilt in our lives give honor
to the Gospel we proclaim? Even more importantly,
can God's grace deal with the guilt that weighs
upon
us?
Can
grace put to rest the guilt-demons associated with
a divorce? Can grace relieve the guilt-pain of an
addiction? Can grace smooth the guilt-waves that
come with losing a job? Can grace bring healing to
the guilt-wounds of an
abortion?
Some
Christian leaders (and parents) utilize guilt to
manipulate people. Their motives may be pure but
their methods are not. Perhaps their past
experience was shame-based living. Guilt often
produces outward conformity, but
also inward deformity. People work harder
but with more strain and less
joy.
The
task of the grace-based community is to combat the
false shame that permeates our lives . Grace
is to guilt what light is to
darkness.
If grace cannot over-ride guilt, then the gospel
is
deficient.
When
Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman (Jn 4) or the
leper (Mk 1) or the tax collector (Lk 19) or the
adulteress (Jn 8), He focused on their future
potential not their past failure. He encouraged
them to new lifestyles rather than berated them
for old ones. He offered forgiveness not
judgement. He replaced shame with dignity,
embarrassment with worth, and brokenness with
hope. He still
does!
Are
we doing the same for
others?
In
HOPE -
David
| 
