Making it Right

And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."
Luke 19:8-10 (ESV)

Guilt can be an anchor tied to our life's boat, destroying any hope of a smooth sailing life. Jacob, the deceiver, gave us many examples of what it is like to live in guilt. Yet, he worried or fretted for nothing because his brother was not seeking vengeance.

Zacchaeus gave us a great example of what to do with the guilt that arises in our souls. We first find God, listen to what He says, and respond to Him. Then, as we accept His forgiveness, we find others we have harmed and do what we can to make things right.

When we do something wrong, we should feel bad about the action or attitude, driving us to straighten out the problem. However, if we ignore the problem, it will multiply and one day bury us. After we have confessed our sins to God and made things right, the best we could, with others, we need to press on to the things that God has set for us to accomplish. In this way, guilt becomes a springboard rather than an anchor.

For now, the choice is ours.

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