I’ve heard a lot about the extreme nature of Catholic guilt. I will be the first to tell you, I don’t know a whole lot about Catholicism. But I DO know a fair amount about good, old fashioned, red-backed hymnal, pot-luck lovin’, casserole bakin’ Southern Baptists. I was raised one and some of my favorite people, and some of the godliest people I have ever known were Southern Baptists. But I submit to you that Catholic guilt ain’t got nuthin’ on good solid Southern Baptist guilt. You know, the kind where they give you that look and even if you aren’t sure what you did wrong, you still feel so bad that you just start confessing errrrrthang you have ever done since Kindergarten? Some of y’all know what I am talking about. And then, depending on who is giving you the look, you might get a, “Well SOMEBODY is feeling convicted,” for good measure.
So what IS the difference between feeling convicted and feeling guilty? Well, they are subtle, but they ARE there. 2 Corinthians 7:9-10 says “As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.”
If you are feeling bad about something you have never spoken to the Lord about, then that is conviction. That is the Lord telling you through your spirit man that you need to confess this thing and get some forgiveness. That kind of guilt is a good thing. But what if you are feeling bad about something you did, and you have already been to the Father about it and already asked forgiveness? That’s DIFFERENT! IF you have asked for forgiveness for that thing, then it’s under the blood. And to use a worldly illustration, it’s kind of like Vegas. You’ve seen the commercial about “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas?” Well, while I would trust Vegas about as much as gas station sushi, the truth is that what goes under the blood (of Jesus), STAYS under the blood. The Word says he separates us from our sin as far as the east is from the 
west. When He forgives our sins, he remembers them no more (Hebrews 8:12).
So if you are being beaten down and kicked around by guilt for something that is under the blood, well THAT is an attack of the enemy. You don’t have to take that! You don’t have to listen to that broken record playing in your head. As a Christian, you have every right to rebuke the enemy and tell him to shut his mouth. As the saying goes, when he reminds you of your past, remind him of his future. God, in His mercy, has extended grace to you. How about you follow His lead and extend a little grace to yourself?
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