“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.”
– Galatians 5:13
 Guilt is different than shame. Guilt is a good thing because guilt says, I did something wrong and that’s not me, I shouldn’t have done that. So guilt makes us better people. But shame tells us, I am someone wrong. Of course, I did that. I need to hide this about myself. Shame is rooted in the fear that people will see us just as we are, and we will be embarrassed. Shame is hiding; shame is defense. People who struggle with shame are easily offended, and I see a lot of that in our society. People who are very easily offended are struggling with a place of self-worth. But if you’re rooted in God’s dignity and what God says about you, and you live a life to please God, who cares what people say about you. That’s who you are; you’re not easily offended. You can let it go. |
Prayer
God, when I do something wrong, have me feel guilty. I want to humble myself and apologize to you and others. But don’t let me hold on to the guilt long enough to become shame.
Reflection
How can you make sure you only feel guilt and not shame?
