How to overcome the guilt and shame of past sins

Psalm 13:5

We have all done something in the past we aren’t proud of. It could be outright disobedience to God’s law, hurtful words shouted in anger or treating your body poorly. Past sins or habits can make you feel guilty and weigh heavily on your spirit, so how do you overcome the shame?

You may feel ashamed for what you did and this guilt is weighing you down. The enemy wants you to concentrate on your sins, he wants you to feel so ashamed that you just give up on God entirely. But God has already offered you mercy, all you have to do is accept it.

Sea of Forgiveness

Have you ever apologized to someone for something you did and a few months later, they turned around and threw it back in your face?  Most of us have experienced some version of this. We have done so many wrong things in God’s sight and when we go to him for forgiveness, he grants it to us. God has thrown our sins into the sea of forgiveness. He forgives our sins and then forgets them.

There is a beautiful song by Helen Baylor entitled ‘Sea of Forgetfulness.’ In this song, she sings “Into the sea of forgetfulness, you placed all of my sins.’ What an amazing concept! Unfortunately, all of us have been stained with sin. The Bible says in Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” We have done so much wrong. Sometimes, we neglect our relationship with God. We may do wrong to our neighbour or even have committed a serious crime. But thank God, that no matter what you have done, God STILL loves you and is still willing to forgive you.

Now that we understand God’s willingness to forgive us, let’s look at three steps to overcome the guilt and shame that come with past sins:

First Step- Understand that we all make mistakes

The Bible says in Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

We are human and we make mistakes, it’s part of our nature. We do not live in a perfect world and therefore sometimes we will mess up. Understanding this fact is the first step to overcoming the guilt and shame of past sins.

As we grow in our relationship with Christ, He works on our hearts to transform our character. The things we once found pleasure in may no longer interest us. We must put our trust in God’s grace and mercy, otherwise, we will never be able to overcome guilt.

Second Step-Trusting in God’s mercy

God’s forgiving power is thorough. He does not forgive us partly. Whole forgiveness is given to anyone in need of it. In our devotional text for today, the writer of Psalms 13:5 says

But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.

Psalms 13:5

Do you trust in the Lord’s mercy or do you still have doubts about His forgiving power?

God has given us mercy. When someone gives you mercy, it means they have forgiven you for something that you are guilty of. We can come boldly towards the throne of grace and ask God for forgiveness and he freely gives it to us.

Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16

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Step three: Asking God for deliverance from guilt

So why are you still holding on to the guilt and shame of your past? God has already thrown your sins into the sea of forgetfulness. He has wiped your slate clean and is willing to give you a brand-new start. What a comforting thought!

The enemy tempts us to believe that our sin is greater than God’s mercy. He wants us to think that God will never love us again because of our sins. But the Bible proclaims, “Nothing can separate us from the love of God” (Romans 8:38-39)

You can trust in God’s mercy, and when you feel guilty or ashamed you can pray as David prayed, “Deliver me from bloodguiltiness.“-Psalms 51:14

Conclusion

Forgiveness is a gift. A gift that God freely gives to anyone willing to accept it. He has an abundance of forgiveness to give. He has a sea of forgiveness! God’s love for us can never run out. We need God’s forgiveness, because when we sin, we not only wrong others, we have wronged our Heavenly Father. Luckily for us, coming to the Creator of the universe is not a scary or overwhelming thing.

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16

When we fall into old habits we can humble ourselves, pray and confess our sins to God. No matter how many times we fall, God is there with forgiveness in hand, to pick us up and remind us that we are not alone. He is the only one who can release us from the bondage of sin.

He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities, and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

Micah 7:19

God‘s forgiveness towards us is like a white rag. When we ask for forgiveness it’s as if God takes our dirty rag of sin and washes it clean. If we sin again God will not bring up our past sins, because he has cast our previous sins away. Wow! What a merciful God.

God has forgiven you, will you forgive yourself?

Prayer for Today:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for giving me mercy. Thank you for loving me even though I don’t deserve it. Remove the spirit of guilt and shame from my life. Help me to trust in your mercy.

Amen.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article today. If you have a question, query or story you’d like to share with me, please leave a comment or email me using the form below.