Guilt Can Be Good

The famine that Joseph prophesied would come to pass in Egypt also took in the land of Canaan, so that Jacob sent his ten eldest sons to Egypt in order to buy food. When they arrived in Egypt, they went to buy grain along with the others but did not recognize Joseph who was in charge of selling the grain. Joseph, however, recognized his brothers and, testing them, charged them with spying, put them in prison for three days, and then allowed them to go on the condition that one brother stay behind while the others went to get the youngest who had been left behind.

His brothers then said, “We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us” (Genesis 42:21). After twenty years, Joseph’s brothers felt the full weight of their guilt regarding their treatment of Joseph. We also often let society mold us so that we do not feel guilty when we sin. It takes some that long to realize their mistakes in youth. It often takes parents twenty years to feel guilty over their mistakes raising their children, and longer still for those whose consciences are seared. But guilt because of sin is good because only when we feel guilty will we try to make the necessary correction.