Good For The Soul

• What would happen if every criminal in the world suddenly confessed their crimes?

• What keeps people from confessing things they’ve done?

Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
Psalm 32:5

It’s nice to be thought of as a good person, someone people can trust, depend on and count on to make wise decisions. It’s good for our self-image when others compliment our generosity or our helpfulness or some other part of our character.

When the compliments start to flow, though, it’s easy to lose sight of some not-so-honorable parts of our character. It’s easy to start thinking of ourselves more highly than we should. It’s easy to overlook—or start trying to hide—things that might ruin our good reputation.

So we ignore God’s command to confess our sins. Admitting that we’re not as good as people think we are — or as we think we are—is a tough thing to do. It seems like the surest way to blow our cover and ruin our reputation.

Confession, though, actually makes us better people. It’s real; there’s nothing pretend about it. Admitting our sins to God and asking for his forgiveness changes us from the inside. And that’s the kind of change people really notice.

PRAYER
Dear God, thank you for forgiving us and changing us from the inside when we confess our sins. Help us remember that your opinion of us is the only one that really matters. Amen.