A Word from Dom Augustin Guillerand
God will know how to draw glory even from our faults. Not to be downcast after committing a fault is one of the marks of true sanctity. — Dom Augustin Guillerand
As a pastor, I often meet people who feel the need to unburden themselves. They usually don’t confess their sins in a classical sense, but they bemoan the fact that they have sinned. I do my best to listen, and in most cases, I advise them not to let the devil win twice. The first victory came when they gave in to temptation; the second, when they engaged in self-condemnation.
It was the quote by Dom Augustin Guillerand that led me to begin sharing this advice. It helped me imagine what God is doing while we are condemning ourselves.
Imagine a child runs up crying because they’ve spilled their milk. They are absolutely distraught! Immediately, you get them another one and clean up the mess they made. When you’ve finished, you notice them banging their head in a corner, like Dobby the Elf, whispering about how much of a screwup they are.
This is what many of us do with our faults. Indeed, many think it’s the appropriate response... that God wants us to feel this way. After all, shouldn’t we be sorrowful about our sins? Yes, but sorrow and self-condemnation are different. It is sorrow that sends you to God for help and forgiveness. Self-condemnation keeps you from him. It is a sinister form of pride that traps one in the degenerate cycle of sin and shame.
Of course, this doesn’t eliminate the need for restitution and/or reconciliation with others. And it isn’t for those who would take advantage of the grace of God, intentionally spilling their milk because “God is so forgiving.” I have another quote for them, but it can wait for another day. This is for those who desire to live a life pleasing to God, those who are journeying further up and into God’s kingdom, and intentionally or unintentionally suffer the setbacks of sin.
Brother Lawrence, another great example of how to recover from sins setbacks, wrote that whenever he sinned, he would say to God, “This is what I’ll always do when I wander from your presence.” Then he would conclude, “Draw me nearer, Lord,” and joyfully go along his way.
It’s almost guaranteed that you will fail today. Fail faithfully, do not let the devil win twice, and go on your way joyfully.
What a great reminder! Amen to that!!