Mysterious Guilt

Q: I feel so guilty all the time and I can’t even think of a reason for it.
Maybe I should rob a bank or poison my neighbour’s cat just to give me a good reason to feel this way. What is it that I’m suffering from, and is there a cure?

A: It’s appropriate to feel guilty when we’ve violated our own code of ethics or personal standards. In this case, guilt acts like pain. It registers discomfort because our conscience is injured.
This kind of guilt usually persists until we’ve taken steps to fix the problem through an admission of fault, giving an apology or making restitution for the loss we’ve caused.
All this goes with a good moral sense and is healthy and normal. Those who feel no guilt when doing wrong have a problem.
Their conscience is underdeveloped or compromised and they need help to be able to function properly.
Feelings of guilt can result also from sources other than wrongdoing. Insecurity, anxiety or a sense of inadequacy can produce them.
These feelings are often mistaken for moral guilt and because the sufferer can’t isolate the bad deed responsible for them, the feelings go unresolved.
So analyse your guilt feelings to see if they’re justified in terms of right and wrong. If so, confess your wrongs to God and ask any others affected to forgive you.
Then it’s important to put the event behind you and give yourself a new start.
But if the feelings aren’t related to right and wrong, deal with their real source and get help for your insecurity, anxiety or low self-worth.
Dealing with these emotional issues will relieve you of the constant presence of unresolved guilt. It will also give you peace of mind, self-confidence and a sense of wholeness. These contain God’s will for you so He will help you achieve it if you ask Him.