Feelings of Guilt

What is guilt and why do we feel it? Many people suffer from feelings of guilt, and it can completely overwhelm them. Guilt is that sense of wrongdoing that anyone (even the unbaptized) can feel. How we respond to that guilt makes all the difference. If you respond with ignoring it, then your heart is calloused and needs serious repentance. If you respond with despair, then the devil is keeping you from ackowledging the full ramifications of the forgiveness of God. If, however, you thank the Lord for reminding you of what you have done, so that you can be encouraged to work harder in the future, then you are responding rightly.

Only that last response can more you forward in life, and it also has the advantage of stifling the attacks of the evil one. We must accept what we have done, and believe fully that God forgives it. In doing this we can find that the right attitude toward it can have a sanctifying influence on us. Yes, we all know guilt, and yes, we have to deal with it. How we deal with it will determine whether we draw closer to God or move further away from Him.