Guilty or Not Guilty?

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:1

For years I felt guilty for not having a family devotional time with our girls as they grew up. We provided plenty of other spiritual growth opportunities, but not that dedicated sit down time as a family. I stewed and fretted about it a lot.

Finally, I apologized to my adult daughters for this mistake. Their reactions stunned me. Both, without hesitation or discussion with each other, responded with,

“But, Mom, we had family dinners together almost every night.”

I had let my guilt over my perceived failure weigh me down for all those years while my daughters harbored no ill feelings or regrets over our lack of a controlled devotional time. As a matter of fact, they felt like our family dinners provided just as much benefit as the other would have.

Not long after my apologies our campus pastor brought a message about sitting around Jesus’s table which further affirmed what my daughters had shared with me. He discussed how Jesus provided the participants at his table with physical, emotional, and spiritual nourishment. He talked about the important relationship building which occurs around the family table.

The more our pastor spoke, the more the whole picture came into focus. I had let Satan condemn me for something at which others took no offence and God had already redeemed.

I left that service praising God for our family time around our table. We did share spiritual truths there. We did invest in each other there. We did follow Jesus’s example there whether intentionally or unintentionally.

I also left there free from the burden of guilt.

Father, help us to listen to your voice of conviction as it leads us onward in our spiritual journey. Help us not to let Satan’s message of guilt and shame hold us captive and keep us from growth with you.

Susan Partida