True story.
I scheduled yesterday’s post after writing it way back on Saturday. I wrote it, scheduled it, then forgot all about it. Yesterday, something, maybe a tweet or a blog, got me thinking about confessing. On the strength of that I did a series of tweets with the hashtag #IMustConfess. Of course later on in the evening my blog entry was published and someone might have thought there was a plan. If there was, it wasn’t mine!
When I noticed these things I smiled and shrugged at the ‘coincidence’. Today a very important person in my life also shared a series of FB updates with #imustconfess. It got me thinking again about the benefits of confession.
I think about 1 John 1. I could jump to the specific verse about confession, but actually I am more intrigued with walking in the light as He is the Light. What intrigues me is what happens in the light. Exposing issues to the light does not bring shame and condemnation. It offers reconciliation and relationship, forgiveness and fellowship. What a freedom is experienced in this. There is a problem with darkness. As long as the issue is in the darkness then it remains unresolved, indeed it remains away from a place where it has any hope of resolution.
I talk from experience, where I have kept matters and issues hidden from view. Sometimes so well hidden they never appear to surface. Yet as long as it lingers there without being exposed for what it is, it remains a stumbling block and hindrance to enjoying the fullness of fellowship with Christ and others.
There is no cure-all aspect of Jesus that says that confession leads to instant termination of any problem. Though that might happen on occasion, what exposing it to the light through confession does is show how powerless it is compared to the truth of the Light of Christ. The truth of Christ’s Light says that we can be accepted while we work through the issues with Him as long as it is in the light.
I know people find confession a funny thing when it’s not to God. I can understand the guard and caution and wariness people will have towards trusting people enough to handle their deep dark stuff. I’m certainly not advertising and promoting revealing for the sake of revealing and just talking for the sake of talking about it. The purpose of confession is in the hope of experiencing release. The experience of release in the context of Christlike community reinforces the very love that helps us to bear with each other and build each other. It’s the saddest thing to see a group of people call themselves Christians who don’t really know each other. Especially know each other to the extent to which they are aware of the areas in which each needs support.
That is why I find confession so good – confessing to God and finding forgiveness, confessing to the Family of God and finding fellowship with them as well as with Christ.
I heartily recommend it.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
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