psalm 39:2

“I was mute and silent; I held my peace to no avail, and my distress grew worse” ESV

We have two responses to sin, to confess it or to hide it. By not confessing our sin we are only hurting ourselves. How many times have you been upset, held in all of your thoughts and concerns, and waited for the final moment of being overwhelmed to express everything at once and make your situation a dozen times worse? We eventually feel all the pressure of our situation and can’t handle it anymore. It’s the same with sin.

Sin is a huge weight to carry around. And by not confessing it we’re separating ourselves from God. We are called to express all things to God, every sin, concern, and need. Yes, God knows all things already, but we are called to be in relationship with him. To come before him daily and say, “God this is what I’m struggling with, help me.” Those words alone have so much power, and the act of making requests to God never goes unnoticed. We all have something to confess/say, and the Lord wants to and will be with you through it.

It is extremely intimidating making your sin known. It’s one thing to think about it and think you’re the only one who knows about it, compared to be speaking it and hearing it aloud, while confessing it to God or to someone else. James 5:16 tells us, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” ESV

Having a community of people you trust where you can go to one another in confession, and have them join you in prayer will bring so much peace and trust into your situation. The enemy will always be in our heads telling us we’re a burden to others, when the truth that the verse from James tells us that it’s exactly what we’re supposed to be doing. And by not doing it we’re disobeying our action to community.

We all know staying silent is the easiest way of avoiding sin and doing so only separates us from God and others. To have an authentic community we need to trust each other, and be praying for one another no matter the sin, struggle, or request. We are designed for community, and the Lord delights in seeing it take place.

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Proverbs 17:7 ESV

11-27-21