Tag Archives: overcoming guilt

When Your Past Catches Up With You

Posted on September 30, 2023 by expressyourself4him

Moses highlights the first reaction in the Bible to sin in Genesis 3:7-13. Whenever you break one of God’s commands, a spirit of conviction will visit your soul. Adam and Eve’s initial response to disobeying God’s only rule in the Garden of Eden is shame. Meanwhile, as this region slowly turns into an arid desert, the reality of God’s curse in Genesis 3:17-19 catches up with Adam as a farmer.

You shall be proved by this test: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go away from here unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of you and let him bring your brother, and you will be kept in prison, that your words may be proved whether there is any truth in you; or else by the life of Pharaoh you certainly are spies. 17 Then he put them all in custody for three days, Genesis 42:15-17.

When Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt to buy food for Jacob’s family, none of them recognize him. Speaking through a translator, Joseph knows exactly what each of their brothers are saying as he is bilingual. As Joseph listens carefully to all ten of his half-brothers, there is a common theme shared between them. Each believe that how they previously treated Joseph is coming back to haunt them in the form of a curse.

And Joseph said to them on the third day, Do this and live! I reverence and fear God. 19 If you are true men, let one of your brothers be bound in your prison, but [the rest of] you go and carry grain for those weakened with hunger in your households. 20 But bring your youngest brother to me, so your words will be verified and you shall live. And they did so. 21 And they said one to another, We are truly guilty about our brother, for we saw the distress and anguish of his soul when he begged us [to let him go], and we would not hear. So this distress and difficulty has come upon us, Genesis 42:18-21.

From a modern perspective, some refer to this as karma. Others will point to this as you reap what you sow. Whatever you want to call this, you can’t run away from your past. Like the Boy Who Cried Wolf, when there actually is an emergency, no one will believe you. This is why the earthly brother of James called first century Christians to confess their sins to one another, James 5:16. When you do, healing will follow.

by Jay Mankus

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Falling into Silence Makes It Impossible to Survive

Posted on July 17, 2020 by expressyourself4him

Depression has a way of isolating yourself from the people who care about you the most. Looking back on my own life, I began to withdraw from my friends when I entered Hanby Junior High School. Instead of allowing those who reached out to me in, I secluded myself even further. When I wanted to be miserable, I could suck the life out of an entire room, bringing everyone around me down.

When I kept silence [before I confessed], my bones wasted away through my groaning all the day long, Psalm 32:3.

After committing adultery with Bathsheba, King David took a vacation from God. Instead of telling the truth when Bathsheba missed her period, David sent for Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, to comeback from war to be reunited. When Uriah refused to sleep with his wife, David went to plan C, giving an order to abandon Uriah on the front line, resulting in his death. As each day passed, this silence made it impossible for David to survive spiritually.

For day and night Your hand [of displeasure] was heavy upon me; my moisture was turned into the drought of summer. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! – Psalm 32:4

Guilt consumed David like high humidity on a hot summer day. The longer David put off confessing his sins, the lonelier his soul became. Psalm 32 and Psalm 51 highlight the emotions built up inside David’s heart. As soon as David realized his silence from God needed to broken, the door for reconciliation was opened. The next time you feel like running away from confrontation, remember David’s prayer to end his distance and silence from God.

by Jay Mankus

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When You Need to be Encouraged

Posted on June 10, 2020 by expressyourself4him

I tend to be a positive person, trying to stay optimistic about life. However, over the past week, a wave of depression has come crashing upon the shores of my life. Like a rogue wave that comes out of no where, I wasn’t prepared to deal with this emotional undertow. As I attempt to regain my balance so that I’m not swept away by this strong current, I find myself in need of encouragement.

When I kept silence [before I confessed], my bones wasted away through my groaning all the day long. 4 For day and night Your hand [of displeasure] was heavy upon me; my moisture was turned into the drought of summer. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! – Psalm 32:3-4

I’m definitely not the first to experience such a strange week nor will I be the last to undergo what the Bible calls a trial. In the passage above, a series of bad choices causes King David to be overwhelmed by guilt. The longer David waited to confess his careless errors and mistakes to God, the worse he feels. As each day passed without acknowledging his sin, David’s strength was sapped like humidity from a summer heatwave.

If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him. 6 Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind, James 1:5-6.

Jesus’ earthly brother reveals that earthly trials take the form of waves of doubt. Once fully developed, these spiritual storms contain a billowing surge that keeps coming. When you add the wind. conditions only get worse. According to James, when you find yourself stuck in one of these systems, call out to God in prayer to receive wisdom to get you through. While each storm varies, James 1:12 provides hope for those who hold on to Jesus until your storm passes.

by Jay Mankus

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So You Think You Had A Bad Weekend

Posted on April 12, 2020 by expressyourself4him

Depending upon which historian you reference, Jesus was crucified some time around 30 AD. After hearing the disturbing news that the Coronavirus death toll has surpassed 15,000 in the United States and over 450,000 throughout the world, my mind was drawn back in time to the first Passion Week. Immediately following the emotional high of Palm Sunday, a series of events gradually turned the tide from celebration to sadness. You might want to compare your own weekend to what happened to the disciples.

Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing, John 21:1-3.

First, Judas Iscariot exchanged his relationship with Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. When asked to pray for Jesus in his greatest moments of need, the remaining 11 disciples all fell asleep. After initially fighting to save their leader from being arrested, Jesus turned himself in. Moments later, fearful for his own life, the man given the nickname the rock, caved to peer pressure like the cowardly lion, denying knowing Jesus three times publicly. Only John, the beloved one was present in the final hours, standing by helplessly as Jesus as died on a cross. To make matters worse, Judas committed suicide after being overwhelmed by a spirit of guilt.

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” 17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep, John 21:15-17.

If you flash back to the first Easter Sunday, Peter abandoned the ministry, going back to his old job as a fisherman. Instead of having a sunrise service, Peter went fishing in the middle of the night. Bringing a couple of the disciples along, they didn’t catch anything, a painful reminder of their epic failure. When providing instructions from the shore about fishing, the disciples didn’t recognize Jesus. However, after their great haul of fish, their eyes were opened to the resurrected Messiah. As you celebrate Easter in a different way, post Coronavirus, may your own eyes be open to the resurrecting power of the Holy Spirit.

by Jay Mankus

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A Forgiving God

Posted on May 25, 2013 by expressyourself4him

Words like “I’ll forgive, but I won’t forget” tend to permeate throughout modern Hollywood productions.  This mindset has led many to adopt similar attitudes, especially toward those who have broken or crushed their heart.  When forgiveness is absent, nastiness within the human soul rears its ugly head.  As a result, bitterness, divorce and hatred have taken center stage in America.

Unless you hear or read it for yourself, Romans 10:17, memories quickly forget the presence of a forgiving God.  Although sin does not go unpunished, Psalm 99:8 provides water for a thirsty soul seeking to shed spirits of guilt, remorse and shame.  Tattered and weary individuals are crying out for a fresh start, hoping for a clean slate, erasing the pain of the past, Psalm 103:11-12.

Often, the only person standing in the way of forgiveness is yourself.  Speaking from experience, beating yourself up internally only benefits the devil who wants to keep you distracted, Matthew 6:15.  Therefore, remember the compassion of the Lord, spreading the great news of a forgiving God, Lamentations 3:17-23.  Once you accept this truth, hope will plant a seed of  belief which can provide a spiritual root system to carry you through the storms of life!

by Jay Mankus

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