I would like to talk about two important and powerful words: Conviction and Guilt. Both these words appear in the Bible and at first glance might appear to be similar words, but actually carry two very different meanings. Most people, regardless of whether they read the Bible, perceive these words as religious and often negative. Clarifying the meaning of these two words is crucial to how we operate at Kennedy and how families and parenting shape children’s development.
Guilt is rightly understood by most to be a negative feeling or thought process. Guilt can be defined as an unrelenting focus on faults, failure and mistakes common to all. Guilt offers no recovery and no relief. Guilt has no pathway to resolution, repair or learning. Guilt calls out the person’s actions in a consistently negative way. When supporting individuals with mental health challenges, guilt is mostly recognised as a contributor to depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive behaviours, low self-worth and relationship struggles driven by fear of rejection. Unfortunately, many in our Kennedy community are too familiar with guilt lingering in our lives and personalities, constantly reminding us of our shortcomings.
In contrast, Conviction differs greatly from Guilt. Conviction is a healthy, but challenging force that meets us in our failures and mistakes, constantly reminding us that we should-and can – do better.
The Bible teaches that God, through His Spirit, works through conviction. This reveals that conviction stems from God’s Fatherly love for us and guiding us towards something much better. Conviction comes from the motive of hope.
At Kennedy, and in within our community, our goal is to raise young adults who understand they are designed for greater things and have the strength to raise above failure. Conviction seeks to restore and empower us to become who we are meant to be.
Peter Chase
College Chaplain • Pastoral Care
