Confession

James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.

Unconfessed sin is a burden to body and soul. The personal preservation and maintenance of secrets is the practice of misery. Hiding our remorse and guilt, we struggle to remember when and where we have told details and how those details were told. We live in a constant state of apprehension that we might be confronted. Many of us have a naive idea that our own troubles are unique and pitiful. The worst aspect of that insidiously evil thought is that if anyone discovered our 'take-it- to-the-grave- skeleton-in-the-closet' that we will not be liked or loved anymore. That is false pride and a shallow view of our identities as Christians. Besides that, it will take-us-to-the-grave ahead of schedule.

Significant to the issues is that confession of one's faults or admission of guilt requires a certain degree of confidence in another human being. In many communities of faith, confession is not practiced because of a fear of betrayal of trust. Reasons are many, but the first being that many who attend church are not mature enough to be free of their own sin. Let's face it, in many churches, telling the truth about yourself is akin to letting blood in a shark tank. That is the danger of vulnerability. The lack of confidence breeds the lack of confession, which in turn breeds a superficial lack of intimacy which spoils and rots the love and fellowship of the entire church.

Inversely, once the lead is taken, and those who are mature Christians lead by example, confession draws people together and produces an atmosphere of healing which breeds growth. Once engaged, the results are phenomenal, the prayerful discussion of the most damaging occurrences or shameful events in one's life renders an unexpected surprise: the trusted friend understands and offers a similar trial or bad choice as a consolation! Truth is that truth will make you free. Confession is the place where two genuine, honest, and trusting people meet and they both get better!