So you did something that you are really not happy about and immediately after you feel ashamed. You are overcome with guilt and wallow in your own self-pity because;
“How could I have done that? I know it is wrong”
Feelings of guilt or shame are normal human emotions that you will experience sometime in your life. However, sometimes these feelings of guilt, shame or disappointment can cause other feelings of anxiety and fear.
“What if they found out what I did? Do they know I am guilty of this? I am such a disappointment!”
We begin to ask all these questions (which are the product of our shame) and ultimately cause us immense amounts of anxiety. We begin to think that we will have to hide out from the world. This is not true.
You are not defined by your guilt or your shame.
You have been defined by something and someone greater; Jesus. You see, because Jesus died on the cross for our sins, He has given us freedom. Now, this does not mean that we can go out and keep doing things that will make us feel guilty or shameful. It just means that when we do feel these emotions, we do not have to dwell in them. We can actually ‘shred the curtain’ and once we do that we will be able to fully experience the presence of God. When we experience God’s presence we can ultimately receive the healing our emotions need.
There is nothing you can ever do, that will make God love you less. Even your feelings of being unholy do not stop God from loving you. You do not need to be consumed by feelings of guilt and shame. You do not need to be controlled by anxiety and fear. You have a God in Heaven who loves you, and wants to meet you in His presence, all you need to do is: shred the curtain.