Daily Prayers for MenНамуна

Not Guilty

But if we confess our sins to God, He will keep His promise and do what is right; He will forgive us our sins and purify us from all wrongdoing. I JOHN 1:9 GNT

For many people, guilt is one of the heaviest emotional burdens to carry. But it doesn’t have to be. That’s not what God intends. In God’s plan, guilt serves an important purpose, like a flashing light on your car’s dashboard. Or a physical symptom that makes you concerned about your health. Or a malware alert from your computer. Or a tornado siren in your area. Guilt is a warning. It lets you know that you’ve done something to damage your relationship with God or with another person—or with both. Guilt brings the problem to your attention and gives you the opportunity to do something about it. Guilt isn’t a ball and chain that you have to wear for the rest of your life. It’s a reminder to take your emotional burden to the One who can relieve it. If you confess your wrongdoing to God, He will forgive you. He will also take away your guilt, if you’ll let Him. You can stand before Him and others guilt-free.

God, thank You for not making me carry my guilt. At the same time, however, thank You for using guilt to let me know when I’ve damaged my relationship with You or with others. Thank You for caring that much about my relationships. Show me what the best response to guilt looks like. Give me the wisdom to make amends to people I’ve hurt and repair broken relationships. Remind me to turn to You and acknowledge when I have hurt You or other people.

Help me to ask for, experience, and enjoy Your forgiveness. Amen.