How do you handle guilt?
Cathy Lynn Grossman, writing in this morning’s USA Today insists that guilt is not a joke but rather, that it’s ‘essential’.
Grossman observes culture at large and then peers down into various religious systems to understand and deal with guilt. She talks to secularists, Jews, Roman Catholics, Lutharans, Mormons, and even evangelicals.
The consensus is that guilt is real; it is a fiber of our ‘psyches’ says one University Psychologist. With different people this guilt takes different forms. Grossman lists several, including ‘green guilt’ and ‘political guilt’. These of course are related to our role in the environment and politics. I can honestly say that I have not experienced either; but I’ll take her word for it.
WHAT DO YOU DO ABOUT GUILT?
Neither Grossman, the religious leaders, nor the man on the street would argue that guilt is real. The question then is what do you do about it?
This is where things get interesting.
The Mormons said that they are guilty for not doing everything that they are required to do each week. The Roman Catholic was guilty for not raising the funds for charity. The Jews celebrate Yom Kippur (this weekend). In this holiday the faithful are to write their sins on slips of paper, say prayers of repentance and then drop those sins into flowing water. Others speak of the moral end, guilt is the provocation from the conscience that leads you to do or say something to others and make it right.
The sum of what we have here is this: guilt is unavoidable and really unassuagable. The best you can do is try to respond in a way that makes you feel better. In this sense guilt is kind of dangerous and thorny.
This is really hopeless and not very helpful.
DOES CHRISTIANITY HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY?
As a Christian reading this article I was disheartened that I did not read of someone proclaiming the diagnosis and answer to guilt. Of all questions to be put on a tee for us this is it. There was an evangelical in the midst of the article. I am not sure if he was edited or not; but from what I read he did not come anywhere near Jesus.
We do have something to say.
After all, it was Jesus who ‘made his soul an offering for guilt…’ (Is. 53.10). We do have an answer.
The bottom line is that we feel guilty because we are guilty We have sinned against a holy God. We have broken his Law, offended him, and are running from him and his authority lest we are crushed and consumed by him. Our consciences declare that we are busted but our hearts cry ‘freedom!’
But God, being JUST and MERCIFUL sent his son in the likeness of humanity. He lived a perfect life that we couldn’t or wouldn’t. He suffered the death penalty that our sin deserved. And he rose again from the dead to prove that God has accepted him and all who are united to him by faith. This is good news!
Jesus and his gospel provide the final word on guilt. He answers it with his perfect work of living and dying for a sinner like me.
HOW DO WE HANDLE GUILT?
As this article points out, most people try to avoid thoughts of guilt, just like we do concerning death. We try not to think about it, recast it, assuage it’s haunting cries.
However, when guilt is rightly gazed upon and thought through in light of the person and work of Christ, it serves not as the uncomfortable, uncontrollable joy sapper, but rather a providential chauffeur that transports a weak man to a strong man, from me to Jesus, from the despair of self-dependency to the joy of Christ-dependency.
Indeed it is only Christ who has conquered death. And it is only Christ who has poured himself out as a guilt offering for his people. And it is only in Christ that you and I might rightly deal with both guilt and death.
When guilt drives me to myself it ends in despair and hopelessness. When guilt drives me to Jesus and his successful work of atonement it ends in humility and thanksgiving.
You cannot get much more everyday practical than this. Christ is glorious!
As Christians we should have answers to the questions our culture is asking. I praise God they are asking, now let’s answer!
