Addicted to Guilt

"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" (John 8:36).

This feeling of guiltiness must be laid at the foot of the cross of Calvary. The sense of sinfulness has poisoned the springs of life and true happiness. Now Jesus says, Lay it all on Me; I will take your sin, I will give you peace. Destroy no longer your self-respect, for I have bought you with the price of My own blood. You are Mine; your weakened will I will strengthen; your remorse for sin I will remove. Then turn your grateful heart, trembling with uncertainty, and lay hold upon the hope set before you. God accepts your broken, contrite heart. He offers you free pardon (2MCP 451.2).

I know people who became addicts because of guilt. They did something wrong and came to believe they could no longer do anything right, or that they must now carry the blame forever. The weight of it convinced them they no longer deserved to do good. Guilt can trap the mind into believing failure is final. So they continue carrying that guilt, accepting every accusation, using it to justify the addiction or the wrong path they are on. But God does not want us to carry guilt forever. When we feel guilty, the answer is not to hide, escape, or punish ourselves. It is for us to take action. We can apologize, confront the situation, and make things right where possible.

Most importantly, remember that forgiveness is available. People may not always forgive us, but God always does. When we sincerely ask Him to forgive our wrongs, He does. In His mercy, He says, “Give Me your guilt too, and I will carry it for you.” Someone has to bear the weight of it, and He invites us to let it be Him. If we refuse, that guilt remains ours and slowly destroys our peace and our relationships.

Holding on to guilt changes nothing, but accepting God’s forgiveness changes everything. So release your guilt to Him and allow Him to remove what you were never meant to carry. Only then will you truly understand this promise, “He whom the Son sets free is free indeed.”

- Dr. Dana