"Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord called to the man, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heard You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." (Genesis 3:8-10)
We have all made poor choices in our lives. It's part of our human nature to ignore advice or warnings not to engage in a particular behavior. We see evidence of this ignorance from childhood. Children tend to push the limits of their autonomy despite parent's efforts to protect them from the consequences of their poor choices. Over time as we mature the reality of our poor choices can result in outcomes that negatively impact ourselves and others. This is when the third member of the "unholy trinity", Guilt does its best work. If Fear serves up the cake and Shame adds the icing, Guilt places the cherry on top. Guilt declares that you have done something wrong and never lets you forget it! Guilt delights in reminding you about mistakes that have been made as far back as you can remember. Many of us carry uneccesary guilt from childhood or adolescence and hold on to it into our adult lives. Moreover, guilt can torture our hearts and minds with something that we have done which resulted in another person experiencing emotional pain.
HIDING OUT
What is our reaction to guilt's condemnation? The same reaction as that of Adam and Eve after they sinned in the Garden of Eden. "I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." (Genesis 3:10) Guilt sends us into hiding. We want to hide our mistakes and cover up disclosure of our poor choices. We want to avoid people who have been emotionally wounded through our careless words or actions. We feel we are doomed to forever carry the weight of guilt for the rest of our lives. However, like fear and shame we can let go of guilt through turning to God's word. Romans 8:1-4 states, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." (NIV) Guilt slams its gavel down on the bench of your past mistakes and screams "guilty as charged!" Jesus Christ is our defense and declares, "Set free!" because He is God's response to guilt's condemnation. The "unholy trinity" as mentioned in the previous two parts of this series is constantly sending out invitations to draw us into a party of false claims and lies.
THE VOICE OF THE SHEPHERD
Our response to guilt needs to be the same as that towards fear and shame, "Don't listen and don't go to the party!" The only voice we need to hear is that of our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, who states, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand." (John 10:27-28 NIV) We can release the weight of guilt that we carry and rest in the assurance of God's promises. "Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, and since we have a Great Priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:19-23 NIV) My encouragement to you is to leave the "unholy trinity" behind and walk with confidence by faith alongside the Holy Trinity, (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) who will lead you and guide you into all truth.
Glory to God!
Pastor Sheree
"Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord called to the man, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heard You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." (Genesis 3:8-10)
Over the next three months I will be sharing a foundational key as to what underlies all of the emotional challenges which we may face. It's what I call the "unholy trinity," which are fear, shame, and guilt. After the Fall, these three emotions emerged as the core of every struggle humanity faces and will face until Christ returns. Every challenge we encounter either has one or more of these characters at the center of it all. I like to visualize the unholy trinity as throwing an ongoing party to which we have a never ending invitation. Our first character, fear, often manifests in feelings of anxiety and insecurity. Many of the clients I see in my practice often express feelings of anxiety. Fear was the first thing that Adam expressed after God called to him in the garden, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid....(Genesis 3:10) When we accept the party invitation from fear, we are hindered from moving forward with what God has called and gifted us to do.
Fear Is Always Inviting Us To The Party
Fear is always holding out our favorite food and whispering in our ear, "You don't want to do that, you may fail" or "what happens if..." or "what's that person going to think if you say or do that?" "Come join the party and eat your fill of fear!" My word of encouragement when clients are expressing these fears is, "Don't listen and don't go to the party!" The words, "Do not be afraid" are expressed in both the Old and New Testaments. Some scholars have estimated the phrase occurs over 365 times, which shows how much emphasis God places on the significance of those words. For example, the Lord said to Joshua before he was to lead the people into the Promised Land, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."(Joshua 1:9) Joshua had a monumental task ahead of him but God promises that He would be with Joshua. Jesus also comforted His disciples after He informed them that He would be leaving them, but that He would send the Holy Spirit to be their strength in Jesus' absence, "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27)
God's Word Is Our Weapon Against Fear
God knew after the Fall fear would try its best to hinder us from following Him. Therefore, God encourages us through His word to trust Him, to listen to His voice and don't go to the party! There are times when fear is healthy and serves as an ally versus an adversary. For example, in situations when our safety is threatened, fear triggers within us the need to flee in the opposite direction. However, in circumstances where self doubt and insecurity arise, God is our strength, "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:7) Moreover, like Joshua, we have the promise that God will always be with us, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5b-6) So in those moments when fear holds out that party invitation, we can counter with a better invitation. The invitation of God's word, which grounds us and strengthens us through His promises.
Thanks be to God!
Pastor Sheree
