A Guilt-Free Life
We all bridge two generations. Of course, some may see more pass by virtue of length of days, but we are all linked between our parents and our children. By this definition, we could say that we see three generations with some clarity. Great joy may be the result of our observations, but there is often great grief in the passage of time and the resulting change in the landscape. We could call it erosion. In another time, people lived for hundreds of years and saw little change in lifestyle. Today, however, we live in a disposable society ping-ponging between shifting alternatives. Everything is up for grabs- at least in the minds of many.
Counting myself a conservative both socially and as a Christian, I acknowledge that guilt plays a part in the right-leaning experience. That guilt may be well-placed or misplaced, but it serves as a cautionary warning of calamity, much needed in our day of carelessness. We are taught, some more and some less, to feel shame over certain actions and feelings. The question then becomes whether the teaching we have received is correct. As we grow, we come to understand that not every tenet was viable, but we must acknowledge that there was an honorable purpose behind being taught a code. Each generation will make mistakes in turn.
When we understand the well-intentioned mistakes of the past, we should not take that to mean that there is no value in teaching restraint. In large part, that is where we are today societally and church-wise. Many are happy to point out that some former teachings were too severe (and they may be right), so we should not try to “force” any teaching of ethics, or even morality, on anyone today. This erroneous and dangerous belief is often supported by misapplied Bible passages on grace and the individual priesthood of believers. After all, we don’t want to make people feel “guilty” or “guilt” them into things or harm their self-esteem. Wouldn’t that do more harm than good?
That is a common cry among the current crop- “You’re just trying to make me feel guilty!” This missive ignores the fact that guilt serves a purpose in our lives, and there are some things we should feel guilty about. Such teaching does not fit well with the modern emphasis on freedom to the disregard of society, anybody else or God. There is no such thing as a guilt-free life- rationality and spirituality deny it. You and I have an internal moral compass that derives from the Divine. It is not infallible and must be corrected and cultivated, but it is there. God did not intend for our lives to be guilt-laden, but He did intend for us to live lives of virtue at His direction.
The home and the church are the primary sources of biblical instruction. We should be careful not to mix our tradition with clear Bible teaching, but morality and manners will be lost if their promulgation is left to secular institutions. The goal is not to teach guilt- it is to teach good, but there are two sides to the coin. A person with no honor lives however, demands grace and receives none. One who understands the affirmation of virtue and shame of vice gratefully receives the gift of God for trespasses and sins. It is impossible to understand grace if you doesn’t understand guilt. Learn them both. Guilt is dark and deep, but grace is deeper still
Sterl
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