Is it guilt or shame?

Author Chris Masi in his book, Stop Chasing Carrots, makes a sharp distinction between guilt and shame. He says, “Shame and guilt both arise after doing something that we consider bad. How we react to that bad behavior determines whether we feel shame or guilt. We feel guilt when we recognize that we have done something bad. We feel shame when we think that we are a bad person because of what we did.” He states further that shame is the stronger emotion and causes self-recrimination, while guilt prompts us to fix any problem we caused.

Going on the assumption that this distinction is justified, I thought of a perfect biblical example to illustrate this difference: the apostles Peter and Judas Iscariot. After Jesus’ arrest and during his mock trial, Peter denied being one of his disciples three times; lastly cursing and swearing, “I don’t know the man.” Later he expressed his guilt by weeping bitterly. The scripture doesn’t say, but surely he asked for and received forgiveness, then put it behind him and went on to become a great leader in the church.

Judas, on the other hand, was overwhelmed with shame after he had betrayed Jesus to the authorities. He could not forgive himself or bring himself to seek forgiveness from God or anyone else. His only solution was to hang himself.

All of us have done things we regret and perhaps have tottered on that fine line between guilt and debilitating shame, but with the assurance of God’s infinite grace through Jesus the Christ, have managed to stay on the side of redeemable guilt.

JOHN McPHERSON

Searcy