The fight was over something silly. She told him that they needed milk for the morning. He said he had checked and there was lots of milk. He didn’t need to go out and get more. But the next morning there was no milk. Now he blames her, and she’s frustrated because he just can’t admit he lied.
The boss wanted the documents so he could close the file. She said they had been left at home and she’d bring them tomorrow. In truth, she had lost the paperwork and was scrambling to figure out where they had gone. She didn’t want to have to tell her boss the truth.
Why is it so difficult to admit when we are wrong or make a mistake? There seem to be a lot of people in the public eye these days who have a hard time admitting they ever did anything wrong. When presented with evidence and eyewitness accounts, they spin a story about how everyone else is to blame. It’s just not popular to own our errors or blunders.
Confession is an important part of our Christian faith. Richard Foster starts his chapter on the Discipline of Confession with these words, “At the heart of God is the desire to forgive and to give.” Yet to receive the forgiveness of God and live in right relationship with him it is necessary that we confess our wrongdoings. Worse, we must confess that we have sinned. The very thing most people hate to do.
It’s not just an initial confession that is needed. Part of a Christian’s spiritual life includes regular confession. It is another one of our spiritual practices or disciplines. We need to regularly examine our hearts and see if there is anything that is displeasing to him. Anything we need to confess as sinful or not of Christ. While we have been saved, it doesn’t mean we never sin again. Acknowledging our sins is what keeps us close in our walk with God. This calls for some time in our day when we give careful reflection on how we used our words, what our motives were, or what was in our thought life.
The Psalmist reminds us of the power of confession.
Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit.
When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night
your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the Lord.”
And you forgave
the guilt of my sin. (Psalm 32:1-5)
How good it is to be forgiven. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience that today.
