The problem with excessive guilt over sin is that it holds
us back from the only thing that can work to conquer sin: loving and joyful action.
It is a
trick of the devil to use something so laudable – a sense of contrition about
sin – for evil purposes – to prevent us from doing good in the world. We must not let a sense of guilt for what
we’ve done wrong keep us so mired in self-centered despair that we do not do
the good we can do.
Make no mistake: guilt in and of
itself is not bad. The Church has been
accused of fostering guilt in people, and so the Church should. Without guilt, we are content to continue
sinning. Indeed we lose all sense of sin
and responsibility for our sins. But
healthy guilt is an impetus to good action.
It impels us to act in ways to combat sin. It strengthens our resolve to do what is
right. It helps us to see our distance
from God and urges us to move closer to Him.
But guilt that is not tempered by a
sense of God’s mercy, guilt that is focused inward – on our evil – and not on
God’s goodness, is unhealthy. This kind
of guilt makes us so afraid of our sins that we are afraid to act. It makes us fear ourselves so much that we
feel any step we take will lead to a fall.
Unhealthy guilt is born of hatred –
self-hatred. Healthy guilt is born of
love – love of God.
Every day I pray for God to
reveal my sins to me. Because I know
that they are there, whether I have the insight to acknowledge them or
not. But I pray for this not because I
long to feel despairing and despondent about myself. I pray for this because I know that my sins
are keeping me from God, and I do not want to be kept from God. I love Him and I want to be as near to Him as
I can. I want Him to reveal to me
anything that is keeping me from Him, especially my own sinfulness, so that I
can work with Him to remove them from my heart.
If you pray like this, pray too to have the courage to face yourself as you really are.
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