Guilt has a bad rap. For obvious reasons.

It dredges up memories we would rather forget and swirls up emotions we would rather ignore. No one wants to feel guilty. Or, as we like to say, no one wants to go on a “guilt trip.”

Guilt “trips” are not fun little vacations. They usually make us want to bury our heads in our hands and burrow under the sheets. Guilt trips come with a lot of baggage—and it’s all dirty laundry.

But can feelings of guilt actually serve to grow us in our relationship with God and others? We hear in Christian circles that Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sin and guilt. Does that mean we shake off feelings of guilt as soon as they strike?

Recently, I’ve come to perceive guilt—or at least a version of it—as a good thing. Culture, even Christian culture, seems to view guilt as something which stifles our freedom in Christ. But here’s what I’ve come to believe: when we allow feelings of guilt to lead us to the Throne of Grace we experience true freedom.  

When we allow feelings of guilt to lead us to the Throne of Grace we experience true freedom.  

I don’t typically use automobile analogies in my writing but I’ve heard guilt described as a warning light that comes on in a car’s dashboard.

I know that when I see one of those little red lights pop up on my car’s dashboard, I need to do something about it. Usually, for me, that means to let the husband know that…er… one of those little red lights has popped up on my car’s dashboard.

He asks me what it looks like and I typically give a nondescript, “I dunno. Just a blinking light that looks like an upside-down helicopter” type answer.

But eventually, we do something about it. (Okay, if we want to be precise, the hubby does something about it.). He looks up the manual or contacts the dealership about repairs (or something equally boring but necessary).

We all know that if we keep ignoring the warning light, eventually, the car will run into more significant, more expensive problems.

While my analogy is not perfect, here’s the point: when we feel a twinge of guilt, we ought to pay attention to it. If we let it go unchecked, there will inevitably be a price to pay.

Let’s make it personal. The other day, I blew a fuse with my teenage daughter. She evidently had “nothing to wear” which in teen speak means “nothing cool to wear.” I interpreted that to mean, “You don’t buy me enough clothes.” So tempers rose and words were dispensed. I let my emotions take over, marched over to her closet, and made ludicrous threats of giving away all her clothes and never buying her a single thing ever again. Clearly, it was not exactly a mom-of-the-year moment.

A few minutes after my mom-meltdown, feelings of guilt started to set in. I could have  justified my actions because after all she “deserved” the “loud lecture.” I could have ignored my outburst because, after all, which mother doesn’t lose it on occasion— and hello! hormones. I could have explained it away with Christianese that Jesus died for my guilt and therefore I’m all set and don’t need to do anything about it.

But none of those things would have glorified God. Guilt or the Holy Spirit’s conviction is God turning on the “check engine” light of our hearts. When the Holy Spirit convicts us, we don’t need to hide or pretend. There is a type of guilt that propels us toward God, not away from Him.

On the day of my monster-mama melodrama, the best option for me was to go to God with my tangle of mistakes and receive His forgiveness. By His grace, I was able to have a good conversation with my daughter, ask for her forgiveness, pray with her, and clear the air. I’m also happy to report that we reached an amicable settlement about the status of her closet.

Jesus acquitted us of our sin and guilt. We don’t need to wallow in our guilt anymore. We don’t need to take a trip down the ‘Woe-is-me’ lane because guilt doesn’t have the power to label us as ‘bad.” Neither do we need to evade guilt or explain it away like it’s a bad thing. Instead of hanging our heads in shame, we have the incredibly freeing opportunity to look to the Savior hanging on the cross. In receiving His grace and freedom, we are able to seek the forgiveness of others as well. That’s what’s so amazing about a healthy version of guilt.

______________________________________________________________________________________

If this blog resonated with you, SUBSCRIBE to my weekly newsletter for FREE so you get my posts delivered to your inbox. If you’re on social media, I would love a Facebook or Instagram follow. Thanks a ton for stopping by!

A version of this post first appeared on Indiaanya