We have a laundry stealing dog. Given the chance Wrigley will snatch a sock, take a towel or wrangle some underwear. His habit seems to rear it's head after we've been gone all day - sort of a canine plea for attention. What I find absolutely hilarious is the look on his face when he has stolen an article. He'll try to get the whole thing in his mouth, and then act as if there is nothing wrong. His doggy cheeks puffed out, ears laying back and eyes averted immediately betray his crime...HE'S GUILTY! And he knows it! There's no doubt that for us humans guilt is a strong emotion. The fear of getting caught and called out prompts us to build up systems of hiding away our indiscretions. Guilty fear causes us to make some interesting choices. If you take a look at Genesis 50:15-21 you'll see a bit of guilt in action. Joseph's brothers are afraid. When Jacob dies they fear that the sins of their past will be revisited upon them now. That selling their brother into slavery in Egypt was not such a hot idea after all - and even after years of carrying around this sin, the guilt remains, and this guilt feeds their fear. As they bow before Joseph, seeking his forgiveness, they must have remembered the dream they mocked so long ago. "Behold, we are your servants!" the men cry. When we have wronged another, the guilt is often crippling. In fact, unless we are suffering some sociopathic brain malfunction, the guilt we feel can actually be viewed as a good thing! It is the law of God working within us to show where we have failed. It is our God given conscience that holds up a mirror to our sin and prompts us to relive the guilt, to seek forgiveness, to be reconciled to our neighbor. When Joseph claims that he is not in the place of God he is making a bold statement to his brothers. Even in the light of tremendous sin, God has used a perfectly awful situation for good. He forgives his brothers not because he has forgotten what they have done, but rather that he and they have been blessed even in spite of their actions. In the same way, God Himself relieves our guilt. Even in the light of our failures, our sins, He gave us Jesus. He was treated shamefully, He suffered and He died - and that awful moment God gave us our greatest good. As we look upon the cross we know that God has taken our guilt into the grave and given us hope in a new life in Jesus. It's a life like the promise of Joseph, "to provide for you and your little ones" - a promise of the comfort and kindness that has turned your shame to joy, your guilt to gladness! Friends, are you in the place of God? Learn from Joseph and learn from Jesus, the forgiveness of your sins and the release of your guilt leads you to forgive and release others as well! Go and do likewise, o servants of God!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Guilt 101
We have a laundry stealing dog. Given the chance Wrigley will snatch a sock, take a towel or wrangle some underwear. His habit seems to rear it's head after we've been gone all day - sort of a canine plea for attention. What I find absolutely hilarious is the look on his face when he has stolen an article. He'll try to get the whole thing in his mouth, and then act as if there is nothing wrong. His doggy cheeks puffed out, ears laying back and eyes averted immediately betray his crime...HE'S GUILTY! And he knows it! There's no doubt that for us humans guilt is a strong emotion. The fear of getting caught and called out prompts us to build up systems of hiding away our indiscretions. Guilty fear causes us to make some interesting choices. If you take a look at Genesis 50:15-21 you'll see a bit of guilt in action. Joseph's brothers are afraid. When Jacob dies they fear that the sins of their past will be revisited upon them now. That selling their brother into slavery in Egypt was not such a hot idea after all - and even after years of carrying around this sin, the guilt remains, and this guilt feeds their fear. As they bow before Joseph, seeking his forgiveness, they must have remembered the dream they mocked so long ago. "Behold, we are your servants!" the men cry. When we have wronged another, the guilt is often crippling. In fact, unless we are suffering some sociopathic brain malfunction, the guilt we feel can actually be viewed as a good thing! It is the law of God working within us to show where we have failed. It is our God given conscience that holds up a mirror to our sin and prompts us to relive the guilt, to seek forgiveness, to be reconciled to our neighbor. When Joseph claims that he is not in the place of God he is making a bold statement to his brothers. Even in the light of tremendous sin, God has used a perfectly awful situation for good. He forgives his brothers not because he has forgotten what they have done, but rather that he and they have been blessed even in spite of their actions. In the same way, God Himself relieves our guilt. Even in the light of our failures, our sins, He gave us Jesus. He was treated shamefully, He suffered and He died - and that awful moment God gave us our greatest good. As we look upon the cross we know that God has taken our guilt into the grave and given us hope in a new life in Jesus. It's a life like the promise of Joseph, "to provide for you and your little ones" - a promise of the comfort and kindness that has turned your shame to joy, your guilt to gladness! Friends, are you in the place of God? Learn from Joseph and learn from Jesus, the forgiveness of your sins and the release of your guilt leads you to forgive and release others as well! Go and do likewise, o servants of God!
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