“I thought it’d be ok”, my brothers famous last words, as the warning light on the dashboard of his car came on and he ignored it.
A very large engine-repair bill later, and the “if only I hadn’t ignored it” feelings kicked in. It could have been such a different story if only he’d stopped and acknowledged something was wrong, rather than ignoring it.
I think many of us experience moments in our lives where we do something, and it’s like the warning light comes on. Just in that moment, largely because of the way we feel, we become aware something isn’t right.
Rick Warren said, “The purpose of guilt is not just to make you feel bad. Guilt is actually a warning light, which says something’s wrong! Something needs to be fixed!”
The crucial question is what do we do when that happens?
Often when we feel guilty or ashamed about something we naturally want to cover it up, try and hide from it, or even blame someone else for it. Adam and Eve did. That’s ignoring the warning light.
There is another, better way. We can stop, acknowledge and fix the problem before the “if only I hadn’t ignored it” feelings come.
Jesus Christ is the answer. He gave His life on the cross the Bible says, to “free us from a guilty conscience”.
It’s those who turn to Jesus, those who acknowledge the warning light, not ignore it, who find real freedom, and are able to say like David did in Psalm 35 “you forgave me! All my guilt is gone!”
From personal experience let me say, that is a beautiful thing!
Darryl Mallet
Assistant Pastor KLCF