Sometimes we can feel guilty for doing something that we knew was wrong in the first place. Then we realize our mistake and we fall into guilt. However, we need to quickly remind ourselves that faith is a journey, not a guilt trip.
Don’t fall into the trap of the devil! Don’t let guilt hinder your prayers and walk away from the truth. Remember, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).
Below you will find 4 steps to help you get out of guilt and get back into faith.
1. Confess your sin
When we mess up, the Holy Spirit will bring into our attention the thing that was not up to His standard. He will never bring condemnation, the devil is the one that does. The devil is a liar and the father of all lies (John 8:44).
However, God is love and He wants the best for us and He wants us to succeed in every area. Because He loves us, He disciplines us (Hebrews 12:6). He lets us know when we missed the mark by bringing conviction into our hearts (John 16:8), prompting us to repent.
We need to be quick to follow this lead and confess our sin. He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). When we confess our sin, God makes us as white as snow and He remembers them no more (Isaiah 1:18).
He is so loving that even when we feel like we made the worst mistake, when we acknowledge what we’ve done before Him, He forgives us and cleanses us from all righteousness, just as if we’ve never sinned.
2. Receive His forgiveness
Accept His forgiveness wholeheartedly, knowing that He loves you and He wants the best for you.
This step can be easy for some and the difficult part is to forgive yourself. In this situation, it is important to remember that if God has forgiven us, who are we to condemn ourselves? In other words, If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31).
Thoughts of guilt might still come to your mind, but make the decision straight away to forgive yourself and walk in that forgiveness by constantly saying: “I forgive myself, there is now no condemnation for me, who is in Christ Jesus.”
Use the Word of God as your two edged sword and be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2).
3. Look for scriptures that will strengthen you
This step is vital to find new ways to operate your life in a way that pleases the Lord.
Look for scriptures in the Bible that resonate with your situation and meditate on them as much as you can. If you do this, God has promised to make you prosperous and successful, have a look at the following scripture:
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful (Joshua 1:8).
4. Move on and keep fighting the good fight of faith
Don’t let your past determine your future. God sent His Son Jesus Christ so that we could receive His forgiveness and move on with our lives empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Follow these steps above and see your life transformed! When you do this, He will empower you to fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12).
