It's Not About Our Feelings

Saying ‘I’m sorry’ at the right times can be hard for some kids to master. Some don’t ever want to say it, even after they’ve obviously hurt someone. I’ve had more than one toddler clamp their mouth shut and refuse to say those two words when prompted. Other kids say it even when they don’t need to. When Nathan was little he would apologize when asking me to do something for him, or for waking me up when he had a nightmare. I often had to tell him “You’re not doing anything wrong!” 

Even as adults, feelings of guilt can creep in when they’re unwarranted. Often this happens because of past sins that have been forgiven but that we have trouble letting go. Thankfully, our salvation does not hinge on our feelings! John wrote, “Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything” (1 John 3:20). What a relief!

Feelings of guilt are a wonderful thing when they prompt us to turn to God for salvation or to make amends with people we have hurt. But when a guilty feeling clings to us, threatening to make us doubt our salvation, we can remind ourselves that He is greater than our feelings. 

I also love that John adds that God knows everything. God knows all about whatever it is we’re feeling guilty about. Our salvation isn’t based on God ignoring some of our sins. It’s based on Him forgiving them all and setting us free. God is greater than our unwarranted feelings of guilt.