TODAY'S WORD 10 MARCH 2014: SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE: CONFESSION

When we develop our spiritual discipline of confession we find freedom. Confession can be one of the most difficult of disciplines to develop, because it requires us to be completely vulnerable. Often this discipline goes hand in hand with submission, because both require us to be open to others in ways that can be scary. However, when we open ourselves up, we also find ourselves free of things weighing us down.

Living in Secret is Dangerous. There is nothing more destructive than hiding our sins. Christians know that sinning in itself is an issue, but when we hide those sins from others we carry heavy burdens. We tie ourselves to those sins that continuously weigh on our minds and spirits. We know that sin saddens God, but we then start building up walls around us where we not only end up separating ourselves from other believers, but from God, too.

Confession Comes From Good Relationships. We know our Christian walk is strengthened when we are accountable to others. Telling others when we are struggling can help us see how to fix what's wrong. A good accountability partner will tell us when we're off in our thinking or in our actions, but a really good partner will help us find a way to overcome our temptations to sin and back into God's glory.

This is why it's so important to be discerning in who we talk to about our sins. In developing the spiritual discipline of confession, we have to also think about who is listening to our confessions and giving us advice. If we go to someone who is not strong in his/her faith or someone who is less mature in their faith, we may not get the best advice. Also, if we completely close ourselves off to anyone who offers advice, we may miss an important message from God that could help relieve the burdens we keep inside.

Living Transparently. One of the best parts of developing the spiritual discipline of confession is that we are able to live our lives openly. There is a transparency to our faith that is obvious to others. If we think about all the damage that fallen Christian leaders have done to the reputation of our faith, transparency is incredibly important today. 

Confession is a specific admission of Sin;

• Find an accountability partner. In order to be willing to confess your sins, you have to find someone you feel comfortable confessing them to.
• List your sins. Yes, it can get depressing listing all the sins you commit, but at the same time, knowing what you do and identifying areas where you repeat yourself can help you grow and learn to be better.
• Let go of your pride. The hardest part of developing the spiritual discipline of confession is to learn how to let go of your own pride and ego. Sin can be embarrassing. When we think of ourselves first, we tend not to be so transparent.
• Keep your head up. God knows we're not perfect. He will not be surprised. He will be glad you are willing to acknowledge the areas in which you struggle and will be receptive to you trying to make yourself better.
• Accept forgiveness. Despite our own discouragement over our own sins, God is forgiving. If He can forgive you, you can forgive yourself. We should not always expect forgiveness, but we should always be willing to forgive ourselves and accept God's forgiveness.
• Take ownership over your actions.