James 5:16
We need to confess our sins to God and we need to confess our sins to others. There are two options here and both are beneficial. We can confess our sins to a trusted friend who can help to hold us accountable. If you, if I am unwillingly to confess my sins to a friend, it is probably so that I don’t have to be held accountable. Here’s my nudge. I have multiple times felt the urge to tell a close friend, confess my sins to her. And I continue to withhold because I know she will hold me accountable. It will become her mission. Oh, and then of course, she will think less of me. Pride!
The other option, of course, is to confess your sin to the one you have wronged, hurt. Perhaps I’ll just make a goal of the former option. My heart is still too hard. I would “confess” for the wrong reasons. I can approve of myself at least in that respect. I’m not vengeful. Well, I think it, which is the same as doing it. Hate is no less than murder, you see. But I can pretend that I’m a little bit better because I have withheld my anger. Kept it in check. Pride!
Identify where you might need to confess sin in each of the following areas using the seven deadly sins as a guideline or tool to help you.
Here’s the rub … I’m not going to do this here. This is for personal reflection. I almost didn’t even include it. But I was trying to hold myself accountable by including it. But who am I kidding? I won’t do it on paper any more than I will do it online. Suffice it to say that I am guilty of all, some more than others. I even tried to find a way to get out of confessing Gluttony … but I just stuffed myself full to exploding with Mexican, twice in one week. Trying to fill a void that only God can fill.
Area of sin: Confession:
Pride
Anger
Lust
Envy
Greed
Sloth
Gluttony
Take a moment and ask the Holy Spirit to examine your life. Where does the Holy Spirit want to put an X on your life today to show where there needs to be confession and repentant action?
More personal reflection in an effort to hold myself accountable. I am overwhelmed. And I will confess right here that I don’t want to invite the Holy Spirit to examine my life. I am scared of where he will put the X. But perhaps He will take baby steps with me. He surely knows there is only so much I can handle. I cannot handle the big stuff properly, if I cannot even handle the little stuff properly. Then again, it could be trial by fire …
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant,
but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness
to those who have been trained by it.
Hebrews 12:11 (ESV)
but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness
to those who have been trained by it.
Hebrews 12:11 (ESV)
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