Guilt or Scruples?

     A flower pot had toppled over at a nursery. Wind had knocked it down. I placed the pot back on a pallet. Doing so seemed like the right thing to do, even though I didn't work at the business. While visiting there as a customer, I righted several more flowers and shrubs.
     Soon I came across larger shrubs laying on their sides. I did not pick them up, assuming the employees would handle the job. I wondered, should I have picked those larger shrubs? It wouldn't have been all that hard.
    Sometimes we are inclined to render assistance. If we don't follow through, we feel guilty. More often than not, guilt is a healthy thing. It makes us into better people.
     But sometimes guilt is misdirected. This kind of guilt is called scruples. Here is a definition of scruples from a Catholic encyclopedia: A scruple is an exaggerated fear of sinning when there is in reality no sin.
     It's important--but not always easy--to separate guilty feelings from scruples.