What if God Isn't Mad at You for Struggling?

Millie Knight Nov 5, 2025 3:56:48 PM

Reframing spiritual shame and rediscovering grace in your healing journey.

Have you ever felt like you were on trial with God? Like He was sitting behind a judge’s bench, watching every mistake, ready to bang the gavel the moment you mess up again?

If you’ve ever thought, “God must be disappointed in me,” or “I should be stronger by now,” you’re not alone. Many of us carry an unspoken fear that our struggles make us unworthy of His love. But what if that’s not true? What if God isn’t mad at you for struggling?

The Courtroom in Your Mind

In REBOOT, we often compare guilt, shame, and regret to a courtroom drama. Picture this: the accusations are flying, the evidence piles up, and you—sitting at the defendant’s table—start to believe the worst about yourself.

But here’s the twist: what if the entire trial is built on false testimony?

The truth is, many of us are doing time for crimes we didn’t commit. We’ve been accused by others—or by our own thoughts—of being failures, unworthy, or beyond repair. And after years of carrying those lies, it starts to feel normal. Like Ricky Jackson, a man who spent 39 years behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit, we sometimes stay imprisoned even after the Judge has declared us free.

Guilt, Shame, and Regret: The “Triplets” That Trap Us

We call them the triplets—guilt, shame, and regret. They’re emotions meant to help us, but when they misbehave, they keep us stuck.

Guilt says, “I did something bad.”
Shame says, “I am bad.”
Regret says, “I’ll never be good again.”

When guilt is healthy, it leads to conviction, repentance, and growth. But false guilt—feeling responsible for things outside your control—leads straight to shame. And shame, if left unchecked, gives birth to regret.

The problem? None of these emotions tell the full story. They look at your past, not your potential. They shout “unworthy,” while Jesus whispers “redeemed.”

The Courtroom Tricks

At REBOOT, we’ve seen how shame twists the truth. It uses what we call courtroom tricks—lies that distort your memory and hijack your healing.

You may have heard some of them before:

“You should have fought back.”
“It was your responsibility.”
“You chose to be there.”
“You could have controlled it.”
“You weren’t trying hard enough.”

These aren’t verdicts. They’re lies whispered by an accuser who wants to keep you chained.

Scripture calls Satan “the accuser of the brethren” (Revelation 12:10). Jesus, on the other hand, calls Himself your Advocate. He steps into the courtroom, points to the evidence of His cross, and says, “The debt is paid. Case closed.”

Godly Sorrow vs. Worldly Shame

2 Corinthians 7:10 says, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”

The difference is huge.

Worldly sorrow is self-punishment. It says, “I’ll never make it right.”
Godly sorrow is conviction that leads to freedom. It says, “I’ve fallen, but grace is lifting me back up.”

God isn’t waiting for you to “get it together.” He’s not shaking His head in disappointment when you struggle. He’s inviting you closer—right in the middle of the mess—to trade false guilt for forgiveness, and shame for redemption.

Setting the Record Straight

If you were to put your story on trial today, what would the evidence show? Would the facts match the feelings?

Maybe you’ve been accused—by your past, by your pain, or by people who didn’t understand. Maybe you’ve even accused yourself. But the truth is, Jesus already ruled in your favor.

Romans 8:1 reminds us, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

That means you can stop replaying the courtroom scene in your mind. The Judge has spoken. The sentence has been served—by Him, not you.