October 5
Guilt is the gift that keeps on giving.
Garrison Keillor
Some of us live with terrible guilt. We believe we are the source of all problems, that everything wrong is our fault. This is a bit extreme. We all feel guilt at times, some of it productive, but no one is that guilty.
Guilt shows we care. We feel bad when we do or say something that goes against our value system. But to feel guilty about every problem, every mistake, every accident, is a sign that we expect too much of ourselves. We become paralyzed and unable to change and make amends.
And in recovery we are learning that we are not responsible for everyone -- our first responsibility is to ourselves. We are learning to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy guilt. Excessive guilt need not be our legacy. God created us as humans, not gods. It is our nature to be imperfect. When we begin to accept ourselves and our mistakes as normal, our freedom is within our grasp, and we put a halt to the cycle of guilt.
Today help me know when guilt is warranted. Help me believe that I am not always guilty.