CONFESSION

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power as it is working. James 5:16

I have learned so much from hanging around with the men of the Colony of Mercy during the past 17 years. I love that they are transparent and real – not afraid to take off their masks. Yes, they have blown it big time and that is why they have ended up in our 120-day program. But when they are able to finally get REAL – it is amazing.

One of the things I have learned is that they are much more willing to come clean and confess their sins to each other. They have lived in hiding so long that they really want to be totally clean.

Author-speaker Dr. Stephen Atterburn says that “confession is not a one-time thing. It’s a lifestyle and spiritual discipline for God’s man.” While there is certainly something very healing about confessing our faults to one another when it is safe (James 5:16), confessing our sin to God is even more important.

Atterburn suggests two kinds of lives:

A life of  …

Pride
Secrecy
Self-deception
Independence
No accountability
Pretending
Sabotaging relationships
Cutting off God’s power
Creating distances from people
Physical illness
Resentment
Insecurity

This is the life of SECRECY!

A life of …

Humility
Openness
Honesty
Unleashing God’s power
Interdependence
Accountability
Authenticity
Strengthened relationships
Creating closeness
Better health
Joy
Security in God’s will

This is a life of CONFESSION!  (adapted from Every Man, God’s Man, pages 158-59

I sat with a young man this past week who shared the deepest part of his life with me. Over the course of the next couple of days you could see a HUGE difference in his life because he was able to get REAL. 1 John 1:9 reminds us that “if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
So how about it? Is it time for you to get real with another brother, or maybe more importantly, God Himself?

Running the race with joy,

Bill Welte

President/CEO

Daily Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 22-24; 1 Timothy 1

Quote of the day: He will be with you every step of the way. And though it may take time, He has a celebration planned for when you cross over the Red Seas of your life.
Charles Stanley

Verse to Memorize:  The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. Psalm 121:5-6