When you sin, is it wrong to feel this way?

[Chrystal]

I know that when you sin, you feel those guilty feeling from having offended God, etc, and sometimes that guilt causes you to despair, and feel like the worst person in the world, especially if they were sins you’ve committed before, but repented from. I know that despair is wrong, because God wants us to trust in his mercy (thinking of the Divine Mercy).

My question is, when you sin, is it wrong to try and not feel sooooo guilty about your sin. I know you should feel sorrow of course, but just not to the point of despair, right? Is it ok to tell yourself to just try to keep positive, go to confession as soon as possible, and try again? (as long as you are repentant, I know).

 

[Dorothy]

We need to feel repentance when we sin, but not despair.

Despair is when we get so down on ourselves that we cannot believe God can forgive us.

It sounds like you have the correct attitude.

 

[presidentjlh]

One must be sorrowful, but one must never despair, for if we despair, it means we lose hope, and we must have hope for forgiveness.

Despair may be the greatest tragedy of sin.

So, yes, feel a little shame. It is your conscience telling you “Ya’ shouldn’t of done that.” A little shame motivates us to ask for forgiveness and to try harder in the future.

But do not feel absolute dejection, for sometimes that leads to the belief, “God wouldn’t forgive me of my sins,” Which is the worst thing one could do, for if you persist in it for the rest of your life, you’re right. You won’t be forgiven.

In order for God to forgive us, we must forgive ourselves!

 

[Whitacre_Girl]

Is it ok to tell yourself to just try to keep positive, go to confession as soon as possible, and try again? (as long as you are repentant, I know).

This is one of the healthiest ways to approach the situation IMHO. If you just get all depressed and down on yourself, you are likely to despair, or believe that it’s just not worth trying anymore. You have the right attitude.

 

[Chrystal]

Thank you all so much for your (name removed by moderator)ut!! I really appreciate it because sometimes I am kinda a perfectionist, and I try to be good all the time, but when I mess up, I find it hard to forgive myself, and it’s very easy for me to having those feelings of despair.

At those times, I try to read certain passages from The Diary of St. Faustina, and remind myself that God doesn’t hate me, and that He wants to forgive us, just that we have to ask for his forgiveness, and trust in his mercy.

Thanks again so much! All of your words were very comforting to me!