--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: rules that left people guilt-ridden…" description: "\"“rules that left people guilt-ridden, exhausted, and confused were not really from God.”\" — Rachel Held Evans" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/rachel-held-evans-2876_guilt_rules-that-left-people-guilt-ridden-exha_1532112.png" --- # rules that left people guilt-ridden, exhausted, and… ![“rules that left people guilt-ridden, exhausted, and confused were not really from God.” quote by Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/rachel-held-evans-2876_guilt_rules-that-left-people-guilt-ridden-exha_1532112.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/rachel-held-evans-2876_guilt_rules-that-left-people-guilt-ridden-exha_1532112.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/rachel-held-evans-2876_guilt_rules-that-left-people-guilt-ridden-exha_1532112.png) > ““rules that left people guilt-ridden, exhausted, and confused were not really from God.”” [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human-made rules that cause guilt and confusion are not divine; they stem from human imperfection. **In simple terms:** Guilt‑inducing rules aren’t from God. Key Takeaway Question authority of burdensome doctrines. Themes faith authority humanity Mood thoughtful critical Type theological reflective When to use this quote - religious communities - personal moral decisions - church teachings Key Concepts theology psychology Questions to Reflect On - What rules feel imposed rather than inspired? - How can you discern divine guidance from cultural habit? A Different Perspective Some traditions claim divine origin despite human flaws. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Exhausted Confused](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exhausted-confused-5686863/) [Guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt/) [Guilt Ridden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt-ridden-1633872/) [People Guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-guilt-650419/) [Rules Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules-left-5686864/) ## Related quotes > [I think the saddest thing is how people take on guilt and blame that isn't theirs or doesn't belong to them, and how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wunmi-mosaku/i-think-the-saddest-thing-is-how-people-take-on-guilt-and-blame-that/) [Wunmi Mosaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wunmi-mosaku/) > [A love that left people alone in their guilt would not have real people as its object. So, in vicarious responsibility for people, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/a-love-that-left-people-alone-in-their-guilt-would-not-have-real/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [I am tortured when I am away from my family, from my children. I am horribly guilt-ridden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-lange/i-am-tortured-when-i-am-away-from-my-family-from-my-children-i-am/) [Jessica Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-lange/) > [“A guilty conscience pushed me to try harder—which I did for what seemed like a tremendous amount of wasted time, staring bug-eyed at uncooperative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/a-guilty-conscience-pushed-me-to-try-harder-which-i-did-for-what/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [We should clearly understand that only the voluntary and conscientious acceptance by a people of its guilt can ensure the healing of a nation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/we-should-clearly-understand-that-only-the-voluntary-and/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [But you can't stay with people because of guilt. Or because they can drive a speedboat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-kinsella/but-you-can-t-stay-with-people-because-of-guilt-or-because-they-can/) [Sophie Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-kinsella/) > [There's genuine pain in Eric's eyes. And I feel a stab of guilt. But you can't stay with people because of guilt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-kinsella/there-s-genuine-pain-in-eric-s-eyes-and-i-feel-a-stab-of-guilt-but/) [Sophie Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-kinsella/) > [People who are prone to guilt tend to work harder and perform better than people who are not guilt-prone, and are perceived to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/people-who-are-prone-to-guilt-tend-to-work-harder-and-perform-better/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) > [We have built our identities in many respects based on the guilt-ridden stories we have been told about our creation. For women, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gioconda-belli/we-have-built-our-identities-in-many-respects-based-on-the-guilt/) [Gioconda Belli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gioconda-belli/) > [The gay community has a strength and identity that has been lost by dispossessed, guilt-ridden, straight men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-herring/the-gay-community-has-a-strength-and-identity-that-has-been-lost-by/) [Richard Herring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-herring/) > [~I don't always have a lot of energy, but my kids almost always revitalize me. Of course like any working mom, sometimes I'm guilt-ridden.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-couric/i-don-t-always-have-a-lot-of-energy-but-my-kids-almost-always/) [Katie Couric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-couric/) > [I'm always guilt-ridden if I give a bad performance. If you're doing a theatrical run, your day has to be geared to that show.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-hancock/i-m-always-guilt-ridden-if-i-give-a-bad-performance-if-you-re-doing-a/) [Sheila Hancock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-hancock/) > [“Tied up a lot of women, have you?" He raised one eyebrow, whatever that meant. "A bit odd, are you?" She was being sarcastic,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-ivory/tied-up-a-lot-of-women-have-you-he-raised-one-eyebrow-whatever-that/) [Judith Ivory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-ivory/) > [“among guilt-ridden criminals, first diagnosed”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/among-guilt-ridden-criminals-first-diagnosed/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [The writer is either a practicing recluse or a delinquent, guilt-ridden one--or both. Usually both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/the-writer-is-either-a-practicing-recluse-or-a-delinquent-guilt/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) ## More by Rachel Held Evans > [“So what did God say to me in the silence that morning? I’m not sure, but I think God said something like, Don’t try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/so-what-did-god-say-to-me-in-the-silence-that-morning-i-m-not-sure/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [I'm a Christian because Christianity names and addresses sin. It acknowledges the reality that the evil we observe in the world is also present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/i-m-a-christian-because-christianity-names-and-addresses-sin-it/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [“Some rabbis say that, at birth, we are each tied to God with a string, and that every time we sin, the string breaks.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/some-rabbis-say-that-at-birth-we-are-each-tied-to-god-with-a-string/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [One of the most destructive mistakes we Christians make is to prioritize shared beliefs over shared relationship, which is deeply ironic considering we worship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/one-of-the-most-destructive-mistakes-we-christians-make-is-to/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [“My robust lexicon notwithstanding, I struggle to find the right words to describe just how much I despise, hate, abhor, revile, detest and categorically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/my-robust-lexicon-notwithstanding-i-struggle-to-find-the-right-words/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [This is what God's kingdom is like: a bunch of outcasts and oddballs gathered at a table, not because they are rich or worthy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/this-is-what-god-s-kingdom-is-like-a-bunch-of-outcasts-and-oddballs/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [“I don’t know for sure, but I think maybe God was trying to tell me that gentleness begins with strength, quietness with security. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/i-don-t-know-for-sure-but-i-think-maybe-god-was-trying-to-tell-me/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [Whenever we show others the goodness of God, whenever we follow our Teacher by imitating His posture of humble and ready service, our actions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/whenever-we-show-others-the-goodness-of-god-whenever-we-follow-our/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [Faith isn't about having everything figured out ahead of time; faith is about following the quiet voice of God without having everything figured out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/faith-isn-t-about-having-everything-figured-out-ahead-of-time-faith/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [Christianity isn't meant to simply be believed; it's meant to be lived, shared, eaten, spoken, and enacted in the presence of other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/christianity-isn-t-meant-to-simply-be-believed-it-s-meant-to-be-lived/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [“In the years preceding the Civil War in America, Christian ministers wrote nearly half of all defenses of slavery.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/in-the-years-preceding-the-civil-war-in-america-christian-ministers/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [“Cynicism may seem a mild transgression, but it is a patient predator that suffocates hope, slowly, over many years,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/cynicism-may-seem-a-mild-transgression-but-it-is-a-patient-predator/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [“I suppose that the moral of this story is that trying to copy another woman, even a woman from the Bible, is almost always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/i-suppose-that-the-moral-of-this-story-is-that-trying-to-copy-another/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [“I played my role as the good Christian girl and spared everyone the drama of an argument. But that decision to remain silent split…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/i-played-my-role-as-the-good-christian-girl-and-spared-everyone-the/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [“Madeleine L’Engle said, “the great thing about getting older is that you don’t lose all the other ages you’ve been.” 58 I think the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/madeleine-l-engle-said-the-great-thing-about-getting-older-is-that/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) [Explore all 147 Rachel Held Evans quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) ## More Guilt quotes > [Never fight on the wrong side; you might win but the burden of guilt is more than a loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilian-salan/never-fight-on-the-wrong-side-you-might-win-but-the-burden-of-guilt/) [Lilian Salan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilian-salan/) > [“As parents who make every effort we can to raise our children in loving security, we do not need to feel more guilt than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/as-parents-who-make-every-effort-we-can-to-raise-our-children-in/) [Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/) > [When the Lord Jesus Christ became my surety . . . He went to Calvary's cross, and all my guilt was charged against Him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/when-the-lord-jesus-christ-became-my-surety-he-went-to-calvary-s/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) > [“Even in the miserable guilt we feel over our beastlike insensitivity, the glory of God shines. If God were not gloriously desirable, why would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/even-in-the-miserable-guilt-we-feel-over-our-beastlike-insensitivity/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [“The sole reason I stand to open it up now is that lots of people who are in pain just like I was, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/the-sole-reason-i-stand-to-open-it-up-now-is-that-lots-of-people-who/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [But victimhood was seductive, a release from responsibility and caring. Fear would be transmuted into weary resignation; failure would no longer generate guilt but,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/but-victimhood-was-seductive-a-release-from-responsibility-and-caring/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [Regrets are just a way for the foolish and the guilty to pass the time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gensoumaden-saiyuki/regrets-are-just-a-way-for-the-foolish-and-the-guilty-to-pass-the-time/) [Gensoumaden Saiyuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gensoumaden-saiyuki/) > [(I)f we are going to be kind, let it be out of simple generosity, not because we fear guilt or retribution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-f-we-are-going-to-be-kind-let-it-be-out-of-simple-generosity-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Money should not be in the hands of individuals; otherwise it will create this problem of being burdened with guilt. And money can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/money-should-not-be-in-the-hands-of-individuals-otherwise-it-will/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Food ... love ... mother ... career ... Live every day to the fullest. Partake of the four basic guilt groups.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-guisewite/food-love-mother-career-live-every-day-to-the-fullest-partake-of-the/) [Cathy Guisewite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-guisewite/) > [Anger was better than tears, better than grief, better than guilt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anger-was-better-than-tears-better-than-grief-better-than-guilt/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Phil and Hannah had decided that Christian guilt was better than bad math”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhoda-janzen/phil-and-hannah-had-decided-that-christian-guilt-was-better-than-bad/) [rhoda janzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhoda-janzen/) > [No amount of guilt can solve the past & No amount of anxiety can change the future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ananymous/no-amount-of-guilt-can-solve-the-past-no-amount-of-anxiety-can-change/) [Ananymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ananymous/) > [The essence of having fun is enjoying without guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-essence-of-having-fun-is-enjoying-without-guilt/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If all the world hated you and believed you wicked, while your own conscience approved of you and absolved you from guilt, you would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/if-all-the-world-hated-you-and-believed-you-wicked-while-your-own/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) [Browse all 2,943 Guilt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“rules that left people guilt-ridden, exhausted, and confused were not really from God.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rachel Held Evans" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/rules-that-left-people-guilt-ridden-exhausted-and-confused-were-not/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Guilt" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/rules-that-left-people-guilt-ridden-exhausted-and-confused-were-not/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/rachel-held-evans-2876_guilt_rules-that-left-people-guilt-ridden-exha_1532112.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/rachel-held-evans-2876_guilt_rules-that-left-people-guilt-ridden-exha_1532112.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/rachel-held-evans-2876_guilt_rules-that-left-people-guilt-ridden-exha_1532112.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“rules that left people guilt-ridden, exhausted, and confused were not really from God.” — Rachel Held Evans", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Rachel Held Evans", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“rules that left people guilt-ridden, exhausted,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/rules-that-left-people-guilt-ridden-exhausted-and-confused-were-not/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/rules-that-left-people-guilt-ridden-exhausted-and-confused-were-not/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```