In their book, Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancey wrote: 

“Amputees often experience some sensation of a phantom limb. Somewhere, locked in their brains, a memory lingers of the nonexistent hand or leg. Invisible toes curl, imaginary hands grasp things, a ‘leg’ feels so sturdy a patient may try to stand on it. 

“For a few, the experience includes pain. Doctors watch helplessly, for the part of the body screaming for attention does not exist.  

“Phantom limb pain provides wonderful insight into the phenomenon of false guilt. Christians can be obsessed by the memory of some sin committed years ago. It never leaves them, crippling their ministry, their devotional life, their relationships with others.  

“They live in fear that someone will discover their past. They work overtime trying to prove to God they’re truly repentant. They erect barriers against the enveloping, loving grace of God.” 

Believers must learn to take hold of the truth found in 1 John 3:19-20. The Message puts it this way: “Let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living in God’s reality. It’s also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves.”

Even as a believer, the phantom pain of past sins, guilt, and self-criticism may still haunt you. And it may cause you to become overly righteous in your attempts to please God. But you are privileged as a child of God to receive unconditional forgiveness and experience His intense love for you.

Don’t let guilt cripple your spiritual life. Give it over to God who forgives you.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Pray that God would remove the phantom guilt from your heart, and accept the reality of His forgiveness and love.