I recently received an e-mail from a dear family friend whom I have known for a long time. It was in response to my last blog entry. She really gave me something to think about. GUILT. What is it? What's the difference between guilt and conviction? I use the word guilt a lot in daily life. "I feel guilty for leaving my kids at Grama's all day." "I feel guilty like I should be getting something done right now." I probably am not using the word correctly even in those type of situations. Guilt in the spiritual realm is something I've always thought I did not have a problem with. Accepting Jesus' forgiveness has never been an issue for me. I've always known and believed that God loves me no matter what. But how well is God going to use me if I never open my mouth?
Here's a bit of my e-mail back to her, "'Guilt? I'm not feeling guilt.' I thought what I was feeling was a genuine desire to be on fire for God. I want to be passionate. I've never had trouble accepting that Jesus loves me. I've always been secure with that. What I'm not secure with is my own response to His love & forgiveness and the truth of the Good News. I know I am saved by faith and not works. I also know that we are called to be fishers of men and I am feeling that I need to be a little more bold with my 'lures.' So I don't know. Is that guilt? Is that conviction?"
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Hey Laura - It's Lynne.
ReplyDeleteI just read your blog.
About 18 years ago, while at a high school staff meeting at church, a staff member gave this definition of guilt vs conviction. I thought it was a pretty terrific so I wrote it down and have used it numerous times for myself and others as a guide:
Guilt is destructive - it tears down, it is self focused, it is not useful, and is not of God.
Conviction is constructive - it builds up, informs what needs to be changed, it is useful, and is from the H.S.
A few years ago someone told me that they consider guilt(y) a verb - you either are or are not - they did not think it was a feeling. I guess our "friend" Webster or his cousin the thesarus would need to be consulted about that one.
I think it is also possible just to ponder & mull over and not experience guilt or conviction....