Photo: pexels
What is the meaning of guilt, according to Proverbs 28:1 of the Bible?
By Aria Gmitter — Written on Nov 23, 2019
Here is your daily Bible verse for today, Saturday, November 23rd, 2019 for your quiet time with God or to journaling in prayer.
Bible Verse of the Day:
"The wicked flee when no one pursues; but the righteous are as bold as a lion." — Proverbs 28:1, (World English Bible)
There are some people who have zero empathy or guilt. They commit crimes and feel nothing about it, and often this is a deep soul matter that this Bible verse isn't talking about.
However, there is psychological truth to guilt in Proverbs 28:1. When people feel guilty, they often become skittish.
When Christians and non-Christians have done things in the present or in the past that they morally know is wrong, they also feel the burden of guilt on their own hearts. The guilt can lead to shame.
Shame is as old as time. It's what makes people run, case in point Adam and Eve. They felt guilty and hid from God when he came to meet them in the garden of Eden. Their shame led to lies and their lies led to emotional distance, and the rest is history.
Some stop going to church. Some leave their Christians friends, family, husband, wife, kids behind. How they feel is too awful, and rather than face their misdeed head-on, they, like the 'wicked' referred to in this ancient Bible verse 'flee'.
In fact, Edgar Allen Poe wrote a story that is taught in public schools called, "The Tell-Tale Heart".
The main character (who is likely insane) kills his roommate and the police show up to him home after the neighbor report a strange sound from his place.
He was able to lie to the police officers so well, that they didn't suspect a thing. He could have gotten away with his crime.
His murder turned into lies. His lying turned into crafting more stories about the man who died. Deep down inside, I'm sure he realized that he couldn't continue the facade.
His guilt became unbearable. The sound of his fears and paranoia was so loud that he finally had two choices. Self-imprisonment or turn himself in, and let the law deal with him.
He simply could not stand to live with himself. The only cure for his guilt was to admit what he had done.
His fear was getting caught, and he wanted to because then he could be absolved of his inner guilt and move on.
Proverbs 28:1 shows a negative side to guilt — shame, turning away from the truth, lying, and self-hatred.
These are the emotions of a person set to run.
However, Romans 3:23 states that everyone has sinned, so in essence, we all struggle with some form of guilt.
Sometimes people feel guilty for things they didn't do, but for others that they see doing something they wish they hadn't! Thankfully, all of our wrongs are covered by God's grace. (John 3:16).
Note that this verse doesn't say in which direction a person runs.
A person who feels guilt can run away from God or towards Him. Ultimately, this is the positive of guilt when it triggers strong emotions.
Here are 4 positive outcomes of guilt a person can consider when studying Proverbs 28:1, of the Bible.
1. Guilt controls negative actions.
Guilt paired with love stops evil plans from being carried out. For example, a parent sets a curfew to protect their child.
Some states have laws about curfews for minors under a certain age.
A high schooler who plans to sneak out to see a friend at night while his or her parents are asleep.
The sting of guilt before the act is done can stop the youth from carrying out their plan. In this situation guilt is good.
2. Guilt puts things into perspective.
It helps people from hiding things from the one that they love. When you love someone you don't want to see that person hurt.
When you're in an intimate relationship with a friend, partner, coworker or person who depends on you, you want them to know if something is going on with you.
Often, when you hide information that you feel they would be hurt that you didn't share, it creates feelings of guilt (not to be confused with shame).
For example, a spouse who has received information of a terminal illness may want to hide their diagnosis with their spouse to keep them from feeling sad.
But marriage is all about sharing each other's burdens, and so the guilt of not telling is greater than hiding. In this regard, guilt protects their relationship.
3. Guilt takes us out of our comfort zone.
Science says that our comfort can hinder us from change. As with the man in the Tell-Tale Heart, his pain helped him to change.
In fact, the Bible has countless stories where men and women of God changed after the guilt hit when they did something that went against their moral compass.
King David who committed adultery then killed the husband of the woman he slept with, he changed and became 'a man after God's own heart'. (1 Samuel 13:14)
The apostle Paul changed after being a murderer of God's people and became the most prolific writer of the Bible.
Peter abandoned God, and he became the rock the church was built upon. Jonah refused to preach to a nation, and after the consequences of his disobedience, he turned and did what God called him to do.
4. Guilt promotes change.
Guilt may not always be timely, but it can be transformational. There are lots of inspirational speakers with tragedy in their past who say how their wrong choices led them to a path they never thought they would be on.
They did not listen to their guilt. Perhaps it wasn't loud enough, but they did finally get to a 'rock bottom' and have their lives turned around.
As Proverbs 28:1 states, the 'wicked flee'. It's pretty apparent that we all run a race in one direction lead by some form of guilt.
People feel guilty for putting our jobs first and our families last. Some feel guilty for eating a candy bar and not choosing a salad. You can feel guilty for not getting to bed on time or forgetting to bring the dessert to the party you promised to bake.
All these choices form some type of guilt that can lead to the shame that causes avoidance. Shame what we should flee from because it has a powerfully negative effect on our bodies and relationships.
However, confrontation is the cure to guilt.
You can feel guilt and flee in a positive direction that leads to growth. We are all covered by God's grace, like it or not.
You can pick up your bootstraps and be courageous to run away from defeat towards victory.
There's wisdom when you know the difference between good and evil.
Prayer for today:
"God, help me to release guilt and shame that I feel for past decisions and current poor choices. Help me to realize that each time I feel the pain of guilt that it's an opportunity to turn my life around, to step outside of my comfort zone and to live a life that is filled with promise and victory."
More for You:
Senior Editor, Aria Gmitter, M.S, M.F.A. is a writer who covers love and relationship topics involving spirituality, astrology, and celestial events. Follow her on Facebooke