WOUNDED EMOTIONS: GUILT
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
Living Free Every Day®
A ministry of LivingFree.org
Today's Scripture
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9 NIV
Thoughts for Today
Guilt is an emotion that we take on early in life, especially if we grow up surrounded by domestic violence. Even though we are powerless to stop the violence, we feel responsible for what is happening.
A man once told this story. When he was three years old, his mother made all the children stand in a row in the kitchen because someone had taken several cookies from the cookie jar. She finally decided he was the culprit. She burned the tips of all his fingers with a cigarette. Then she locked him in a small, windowless shed in the yard. When the father came home and discovered what the mother had done, he beat her. The three-year-old felt responsible for everything that happened that day even though he had not even taken the cookies. As a 28-year-old man, he still could not get rid of the guilt.
Consider this ...
We can take our guilt, real or imagined, to the cross. Jesus paid the price in full to set us free from condemnation. The things we did do wrong will have consequences, but we can be set free from real or imagined guilt as we receive the wonderful grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Bring your guilt to the cross. Let the love and grace of Jesus cleanse you and set you free.
Prayer
Lord, thank you for your love and grace. I bring my failures and my guilt to you and ask forgiveness. I know that some of the guilt is imagined, but it still haunts me. Help me to leave it at the foot of the cross. In Jesus' name ...
These thoughts were drawn from ...Restoring Families: Overcoming Abusive Relationships through Christ by Janet M. Lerner, D.S.W. This study helps to minister to families caught in the cycle of abusive relationships. The curriculum deals with overcoming these abusive relationships through Christ and is recommended for use in support groups and Christian counseling.
- Ministers to families from abusive relationships
- Ministers to victims of family violence
- Deals with wounded emotions
- Deals with control and intimacy issues
- Presents a strong message of Christ as healer of abusive relationships
Note: This curriculum was written especially for small groups, and we encourage people to use it that way. However, it can also be used effectively as a personal study for individuals or couples.
©Living Free 2018. Living Free is a registered trademark. Living Free Every Day® devotionals may be reproduced for personal use. When reproduced to share with others, please acknowledge the source as Living Free, Chattanooga, TN, www.LivingFree.org. Must have written permission to use in any format to be sold. Permission may be requested by sending an e-mail to info@LivingFree.org
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©Living Free 2018. Living Free is a registered trademark. Living Free Every Day® devotionals may be reproduced for personal use. When reproduced to share with others, please acknowledge the source as Living Free, Chattanooga, TN, www.LivingFree.org. Must have written permission to use in any format to be sold. Permission may be requested by sending an e-mail to info@LivingFree.org