A lot of times, emotions can be draining. They are the overbearing feelings that we experience in our lives at different moments. Happiness, loneliness, anger, confusion, guilt, and shame are all things that we can feel, and sometimes, those feelings can be a lot. They can be and flow in our different circumstances. We all have emotions, but even though they can be heavy sometimes, God gives them to us for a purpose.
I remember a time in my life when my emotions were high. My walk with Christ wasn’t at its strongest, and I was feeling heavy with guilt and shame about the choices I was making. While in the cycle of guilt and shame, it was hard to get out of my head and turn my emotions to God.
I’ve learned a lot in that season of life and how I could move past those feelings with Christ. There were some things I needed to realize and focus on:
The Guilt and Shame Cycle
Shame is “a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior.” Shame tells us that we are unlovable, unworthy, and unacceptable. Guilt is a focus on behavior that tells us we made a mistake. Guilt is a healthy emotion that helps us realize when we make mistakes.
But these emotions can lead us to a dark path. To help us escape those feelings, the Bible calls us to confess our sins, believe that He forgives us, and understand that we are not to feel ashamed. Here is scripture to help us:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
– 1 John 1:9
“…let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”
– Hebrews 10:22
“Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.”
– 1 Peter 4:16
Jesus Heals
We are made in God’s image, which means the emotions we experience are from God. But we are not made to go through them alone, and Jesus is there for us when we need him… which is always. It is much easier to rely on Jesus in everything we do because he heals us from our pain with his compassion and grace. So, remember to allow God to heal us from ourselves.
Always remember to pray, read your Bible, turn to someone when you need help, and lean on God.
