Living Beyond Guilt

Philippians 3:13, 14---"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. "

Last night, in small group, we talked about living in the "today"---forget about yesterday, don't worry about tomorrow. And, if we could only do that. If we would choose to focus on the things of today, most of us could make it through "today". But, it's the yesterdays and tomorrows that seem to give us so many problems. Rest in God, for He will take care of you.

We discussed guilt and the affect it has on our lives. We talked how we must not take responsibility for everything negative going on in our lives. And, besides, we can't always "fix" it. Learning to trust God by releasing the guilt over things beyond our control, or over things in the past, will bring healing to the soul.

Romans 8: 1, 2 "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death."

Guilt vs. Shame

Shame: the painful feeling arising from the consciousness of something dishonorable, improper, ridiculous, etc., done by oneself or another.

Guilt: a feeling of responsibility or remorse for some offense, crime, wrong, etc., whether real or imagined.

"Guilt says I've done something wrong; shame says there is something wrong with me. Guilt says I've made a mistake; shame says I am a mistake. Guilt says what I did was not good; shame says I am no good."

"Guilt is when we hold up our behaviors against what we want to be." "Shame corrodes the piece of us that believes we can be better."

The following was taken from wmeades.com: "When a person feels ashamed, he thinks of himself as weak and inadequate. The path to healing for guilt leads through forgiveness. The path to healing for shame leads through acceptance. Understandably, these two emotions are closely linked and confused since they often appear in tandem. Adam and Eve felt guilt at having transgressed God’s command. Their guilt feelings led to feelings of shame and the behavior of hiding because they felt unworthy of relationship with God."

Luke 15 tells the story of the prodigal son. The son returns home to his father, and verse 21 states: "Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son." The father hugs and kisses the son, and throws a party. He wanted to relieve his son of shame and guilt. In the same way, God wants to do the same for us. Just go to the Heavenly Father, ask for forgiveness, and He is faithful and just to forgive, heal and restore.

Denial ("da Nile")

Last night, we discussed denial---no, not the river in Egypt (bad joke, I know). In any type of recovery process, whether it be grief or addictions, the first step is to admit there is a problem. Denial will act as a "shield" to temper the things around us so we won't have to "feel the pain". When we come out of denial, we start feeling the pain, and that hurts. Many may go through this stage quickly, while others may require more time to process what has occurred. At some point, you must come to the realization that something bad has happened, and begin to work towards acceptance. But, in the meantime, you will go through those other steps or stages that may be even harder.

The most often heard reference to denial spoken of in the Bible was when Peter denied knowing Jesus just prior to His crucifixion. As Peter was gathered there in the crowd with others, when asked "Aren't you one of his followers?", Peter denies knowing Him. We may judge and wonder how Peter could have done this when being in such close fellowship with Jesus on a daily basis. But, don't be so quick to judge Peter. Do we not sometimes deny knowing Christ in "his power", and try to push Him aside? Do we try to deny that He will take care of us in our weakness? Because, after all, where was God when all these troubles started?

So, I encourage you to stop denying Christ's power to "handle your mess". Step One in the Twelve-Step program: "We admitted that we were powerless over our dependencies---that our life had become unmanageable." Stage One in the grieving process is denial. Accept the first principle of restoration: Step out of your denial and admit there is a problem. God bless you on your journey!

Stages of Grief

In 1969, Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross developed a model for the five stages of grief. I learned about those while attending mortuary school in 1978. I can still remember the acrostic that I used to put them to memory: DABDA
1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance
While researching on the internet today, I learned another "grief model" had been developed which includes seven stages:
1. Shock & denial
2. Pain & guilt
3. Anger & bargaining
4. Depression, reflection, loneliness
5. The upward turn
6. Reconstruction & working through
7. Acceptance & hope
(There was also a four-stage grief model by Dr. Phil, but I won't include it right now).

Last week at our group meeting, I told them about DABDA, but did not go into any details. This week, we will begin to explore the different stages of grief, and find out where in this process you may find yourself. Even if you have worked through various stages, please come and be a part of our discussion. Your testimony in that particular area may help someone else within the group that may be "stuck".

Ecclesiastes 4: 10--- " If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!" Come and let us be your friend.

A Time to Grieve

Ecclesiastes 3: 1, 4---"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance". That's why it's important to take the time to grieve. "Grief comes into each of our lives, and proper channels for its expression must be found. If we fail to grieve over our personal losses properly, it will be easy to fall into addictions and dependencies to try and hide the pain. If we express our pain constructively, it will be less likely to destroy us" (footnote from The Life Recovery Bible).

Grief comes in many forms. Whether you have lost a loved one through death, lost a spouse as a result of divorce, or lost a job or financial security during this economy, you need to take the time to process your losses. Even when you struggle to give up an addiction, you are losing the comfort and companionship you found with that "coping mechanism". You may even lose friendships that you had during this addiction. When this occurs, stop and take time to give the losses a proper burial. When the time of grieving is over, you can journey on.

Renewal small groups will be focusing on grief and depression during the next several weeks. If you find yourself "stuck in grief" and can't seem to journey on, come and join us in our meetings. We meet weekly on Tuesdays at 6:30 pm in the conference room at Higher Praise Church.

First Meeting

Our first weekly meeting will be Tuesday, May 5 at 6:30 pm in the conference room (that's the door on the side of building between the main and youth sanctuaries). You do not have to sign up---just show up. Anyone who would like to be part of a small group in a safe, confidential environment where you're able to discuss life-controlling issues, this is the place for you. This beginning group will not be "topic specific". That means whether you are struggling with addictions, relationships, grief, etc., we want you to come. I look forward to meeting with you on Tuesday.

Organizational Meeting

There will be an informal meeting Thurs., April 30 at 5:30 pm at Higher Praise (overflow area of sanctuary) to discuss future plans for the small group ministry, "Renewal". Anyone interested in being a participant, or possible volunteer, please attend so I may better understand the needs of the church body. If you are unable to attend this meeting, but would like further information as it becomes available, please email me at miteshop@windstream.net, and I will add you to my list.

These group meetings (not over 12 people) will create a safe environment for individuals to come together to share, encourage and pray for one another concerning the life-controlling issues they (or their loved ones) face on a regular basis. Possible areas of ministry will include (but not limited to): Grief, anger, addictive behaviors (drugs, alcohol, food), spiritual abuse, co-dependent relationships, etc. Let's pray for wisdom in the upcoming days as God leads us in making these plans.