Have you ever been guilty of bad thoughts, or saying or acting in a way you later regretted? Did you know that those bad thoughts, words and behaviors are an indication of problems within your heart? Jesus said that evil thoughts, words and actions are the by-product of what dwells in our hearts. The truth is that we’re all experts at hiding what’s in our heart. But when the heat rises bad thoughts, words and actions surface.

Guilt says, “I owe you.”

Guilt is an emotion we’ve all experienced. Sometimes we feel guilty because we ate too much or drank too much, or we didn’t show up, or forgot to call someone. And sometimes we feel guilty because we know that we’ve hurt someone with our words and actions. Guilt says, I’ve hurt you, stolen from you, I’ve wronged you, I owe you, I owe you money, I owe you time, I owe you an apology. The problem with unattended guilt is that it creates a wall of separation between you and the person you hurt and it also creates a barrier between you and God. When you allow guilt to lodge in your heart, it will have a negative impact on what you think, say and do.

The solution to guilt is obvious but not easy. The solution to guilt is to ask for forgiveness and to make restitution whenever possible. The truth is that the person may choose not to forgive you. But by honestly seeking to make things right God will cleanse your heart of the negative impact guilt has over you and therefore over the people around you.

Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. – Psalms 32:5 NLT