Off The Cuff Christian

People talk about Karma a lot these days. Most people don’t even know what Karma is really is, though. In the show My Name is Earl, he ends up getting hit by a car after winning the lottery. Being a dumb hillbilly, he thinks it must have been Karma for all of the bad things he had done. There was no way that “life” would let him succeed after being such a bad person.

That’s not Karma. This mentality is actually called “What goes around, Comes around”. Karma is what you earn in order to get into heaven, but not Christian heaven. Karma is a Hindu belief that involves reincarnation and other nonsense. In other words, there is no such thing as Karma.

Yet, even as Christians we still believe that our actions can manipulate the outcome of our lives. I’m not saying that we do not have free will, though. I believe that God opens doors for all of us in our lives and we choose if we go through those doors, but sometimes we choose the wrong doors. When we do that, we can look back and say, “I wish I didn’t do that” or “I should of done this instead”.

That’s where guilt come into play. Earl feels guilt and thinks he’ll be punished for his actions. Sometimes we feel guilt and think God won’t bless us or that we’ve missed his blessing. If you feel like this, then the devil is your driver’s seat and you need to kick him out.

GUILT VS CONVICTION

Before I continue, I should help define what is guilt and what is conviction. All of us are sinners and have committed actions that did not honor Christ. We are forgiven of these sins through the blood of Jesus Christ, though. When we sin we will feel convicted. It is like when we lie to a friend. Eventually, you need to tell them the truth or the lie eats away inside you.

Guilt is a different story. I can look back on my life and think I could have made better choices. I’ve could have gone to a different school. I could have chosen a different career. I should have never dated that guy or girl. And even though Christ has forgiven you, it still seems hard not to look back and say, “but only if.”

What is done is done. God does not live in the past. He is a God of today. So, focus on him today do not live in regret.

DEVIL IN THE DRIVERS SEAT

Guilt is a tool used by the devil to cause us to mistrust God. It burdens our hearts into thinking that we had control over our lives. When we look at our past and see alternative scenarios we essentially steal control from God and don’t trust him. It is us looking back and thinking, “God can not redeem what I have done.” Then we feel discouraged, weak, and worry about making new mistakes.

At this point you have handed control of your life to the devil. He is the one directing your path when we feel guilty because Romans 8:1 says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Guilt is the trick the devil uses to convince us that God is not in control. Guilt makes us feel like we were in control of our lives and now God can’t redeem it.

If you feel this way, you need to kick the devil out of your driver’s seat. That is a spot that belongs to God and God only. He blesses our lives when we pray and put him first on a daily basis. Our past is done. We learn from it and move on with the confidence of Christ in our hearts.

TRUST IN GOD

I’ve mentioned in a previous post, that nothing is irredeemable through Christ. He can at any moment decide to bless us. Sometimes we get into dark moments and can’t see God, but he’s there. He is the voice calling out of the darkness that encourages us to keep moving and not give up.

When we feel guilt we aren’t trusting God, but rather trusting in our actions. It sounds strange, but it is true. If God has forgiven you and you love him, then there is nothing to feel guilty about. Two verses come to mind to help illustrate my point. 1 John 3:20 says, “Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.” Christ will always know and relate to how we feel. No one else in the world can make that claim. Our friends and family may be able to understand and give console, but Christ knows exactly how we feel because he suffered through all of it on the cross.

Given that he is greater than our guilt and past, always remember Romans 8:28, “ And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Do you love God? If the answer is yes then everything that you’ve done has been working towards his good. Sometimes we may go through hardships, but God is always going to bless us when it is over. We just have to keep loving him.

The devil wants us to stop loving God and trusting him with our lives. Guilt is an easy way for him to get into our hearts and create a distance between us and God. It is those moments that we feel like we have control over our lives, but that’s not the way Christ wants us to think. Paul said in Philippines 3:13, “…this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.” And Jesus said in Luke 9:26 “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

We do not live for a God that cares about what we have done. He only cares about you and wants you to stay focused on the good things ahead. Use your experiences as a compass, but don’t let the devil spin the needle with guilt and regret. God is ahead of you, not behind you. Look forward, be strong, and know that God is good.