Guilt - the devil loves it

We all feel guilty at times.  For things we did.  For things we didn't do.  For things we said.  For things we didn't say.  And oh, satan loves our guilt.  He will heap it on whenever he gets the chance.  And he will make you feel so unworthy to even try and pray.  Sounds familiar?

We were raised up that you had to go to church twice every Sunday, attend prayer meeting on Wednesday evening, band practice on Thursday evening and youth meeting on Friday Evening.  I can tell you from experience that it gets rough at times.  With demanding careers, busy children and dinners that won't appear by magic, it just isn't always possible to be involved with everything and attend every church gathering.  For me this has been a long and hard road to walk.  I felt so guilty when I didn't go to the evening service as well.  I felt so guilty when I couldn't make the cell meeting on Wednesday evenings.  I felt to guilty when I decided not to join the band in the new church where we are now, simply because I don't have enough time.

Satan loves our guilty feelings.  And he will try to make it worse.  He will try to get you so guilty and downhearted that you don't even want to pray anymore.  Belief me, I have been there.

But God, not letting me go, reminded me gently with a scripture:
Hebrews 4:16
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Yes the Bible says we should not give up meeting together.  You have to be involved somewhere so that you have a support team to carry you through when times get tough.  You have to contribute with the talents and gifts God has given you.  But you can also be human.  I only have so much time and I cannot get to everything that everybody demands of me.  I have learned to say no.  Without feeling guilty.  Why?


^{Psalm 36:5-6 (The Message)}
   God's love is meteoric,
      his loyalty astronomic,
   His purpose titanic,
      his verdicts oceanic.
   Yet in his largeness
      nothing gets lost;
   Not a man, not a mouse,
      slips through the cracks. 


I will not get lost.  He will never let me slip through the cracks.  My personal, intimate relationship with him is the important issue - not how many times I have attended what this past week.