Transparency; The Healing In Confessing!

 

Transparency; The Healing In Confessing!

As a child, did you ever do something wrong and you knew if someone found out, that there would

be trouble? For days you avoided certain subjects and people, living in complete turmoil, no sleep, just worried to death. Then it happens, they found out! And instead of the world coming to an end all was forgiven and time went on. Looking back we realize that there is power, peace, and freedom in confession! As a child who grew up in a protestant family, I was taught the importance of confessing my sins, but only to Jesus. I'm sure, if you're not Catholic, confessing your sins to anyone other than Jesus seems foreign, embarrassing, and down right scary. Most of us are taught to hold it all in but sin is like dynamite, it's volatile and destructive when under pressure! Confessing to Jesus is an absolute, without doing so we would all be lost, but if no one else knows about it then there's no accountability, there's no humility, no recognition of the pain sin really causes! We need not confess to a priest for spiritual forgiveness, that's completely irrational and non scriptural but in this doctrinal difference we've lost the empowerment, peace, and freedom that comes in confessing our sins one to another. When we

become transparent, we begin to realize we can

never keep the standard we like to think we keep, we realize the humanity in others when they sin and we become less judgmental and more compassionate! I'm not saying to broadcast your sins to the world or on social media, what I'm saying is to find yourself a brother or sister in Christ whom you can confide in, in confidence, and allow them to be your accountability, your sounding board, your reality check and confess your sins one to another! You won't believe the liberation, the freedom, when everything is out on the table and the love of Christ remains, your humility will grow, your compassion will flourish, your power will increase to more Godliness and you will become more and more Christlike, and when others see this, they'll listen! If you want spiritual power, if you want spiritual influence, if you want to have a lasting testimony, then break the barrier of your facade, be transparent, resolve to truly repent, acknowledge your faults one to another, the prayer of a righteous man availeth much!

James 5:16King James Version (KJV)

16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Psalm 32:5King James Version (KJV)

5 I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

Proverbs 28:13King James Version (KJV)

13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

1 John 1:9King James Version (KJV)

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Nehemiah 9:1-3King James Version (KJV)

9 Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them.

2 And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.

3 And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the Lord their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the Lord their God.