Fighting Against Guilt
By Susan Aken
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us …” Ephesians 1:7
My failures weighed me down like a suffocating blanket. Others appeared better than me. Accusations bombarded my mind:
“You’ve wasted your life!”
“You call yourself a Christian; look at all the people you’ve ignored!”
“What do you have to show for yourself?”
One day as I was getting into my car, I felt overwhelmed with negativity. Then, a song came to mind describing how God, within me, is greater than he who lives in the world (1 John 4:4). I turned on the car and those exact lyrics were playing on the radio!
Later that day, as I shared my struggles with a friend, she said, regarding my negative thoughts, “That’s the enemy! God doesn’t talk to us like that.”
A light came on and I remembered the words from the song. I was under attack. Our enemy, Satan, was filling my heart with accusations. Yet, I knew, “The blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7b).
I wish I could say I had victory from then on, but the enemy doesn’t take a vacation. He looks for an opportune time, then strikes. He mixes in enough truth to discourage us and make us feel defeated. It’s true that I struggle with pride, selfishness, laziness, and jealousy. But, I’m no longer under condemnation! (Rom. 8:32). I always have the grace of Jesus. When I fail, I confess and ask for His help. God never prompts me to give up because of my sin.
He calls me to repent and keep going.
The Holy Spirit will convict us of a specific sin and call us to change, but He doesn’t oppress us with guilt or condemnation. In response to His gentle prompting, we humble ourselves, confess, and move on in joy.
Are your thoughts condemning you? Call out to Jesus, confess, and move on. Resist the lies that seek to defeat you.
Susan Aken is a homemaker, teacher, writer, and frequent contributor to Wholly Loved Ministries’ projects. She lives in Nebraska but was born and raised in Oklahoma. She and her husband have one son. Her greatest love is for the Lord Jesus Christ who has redeemed her and set her free. Susan enjoys reading, photography, spending time with family and friends, and writing. She has a heart for prayer ministry and loves her church. Visit her online at susanaken53.wordpress.com.
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Originally published Thursday, 24 August 2023.
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