Guilt and Shame – March 1, 2023

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Genesis 3:7

Guilt and Shame

“Why did I do that? What was I thinking? It all sounded good and felt right in the moment. But now, all I feel is guilt and shame.”

We have all been there. Maybe we woke up in someone else’s bed. Maybe we were sleeping off a hangover and could not remember the events of the last evening. Maybe we called in sick to work because we didn’t want to face the co-worker we had offended the day before. Maybe we lost our temper with a family member and are ashamed of how we looked and sounded. We all live with guilt and regret for our past behavior.

God could never forgive us, right? Adam and Eve had to be thinking that as they fashioned for themselves the world’s first clothing. What had they done? What were they thinking? How could they ever face God again? How could he ever forgive them?

But in the first of many surprises in the Bible, God could forgive them. He did forgive even their sin that had such far-reaching consequences. And to prove that his forgiveness for them was more than just words, he sent his Son into this world to pay for their sins and ours. Jesus came and hung on the cross to pay for a world full of sin, guilt, and shame. He died for all of our sins. That’s right. ALL of them. Even the big ones. Even the ones that were too terrible to be forgiven.

Whatever it is in your past that is filling you with guilt and shame, lay it at the cross. Confess it to Jesus and be assured that he has paid for it. Your guilt is gone, and your sin washed away. In its place, Jesus gives you forgiveness and eternal life and invites you to live for him.

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you. You have washed away my sin and paid for my guilt. Help me not to look backward, but to look forward in joy to the heaven you have won for me. Help me live for you today. Amen.