Confession

I don't know of anyone who would say they like to fail. I myself tend to be a perfectionist; failure (at anything) has always been a fear of mine. We all know we experience failure occasionally and if we are honest with ourselves, we can probably agree that we don't like admitting our failures. To me, that's what confession has always meant - putting our faults on the table for others to see. A few days ago, I heard someone say that confession should not be seen as a contemptible admission of failure, but rather an honorable act of faith. This was so encouraging for me and it allowed me to see confession in a new light.

There is so much freedom in confessing our sins not only to God, but to others that we trust. Unfortunately, many things keep us from being vulnerable enough to admit our faults. The fear of being rejected, embarrassed, or feeling inferior all get in the way, forcing us to store everything inside. I've realized though, that it's more attractive to acknowledge our humanity and admit to being far from perfect, rather than putting on a face because we are too afraid to show our flaws.

I've been fortunate to be a part of Penn State's Cru community (Campus Crusade for Christ) this past year. The director of Cru has made the following quote several times this year and it has become one of my favorites: "It's better to look bad on the outside and get better on the inside, than to look good on the outside and get worse on the inside." The same idea can be found in God's Word; James 5:16 says "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."

When we focus on praying for others, we don't even think about judging them. When we are truly caring for someone instead of rejecting them based on their faults, we build our trust and deepen our relationship with that person.

Christ is the greatest example for us to follow - He extends His mercy to us because He loves us. When we confess our sins to Him, he never rejects us, but pours his love and grace onto us despite our failures. God is good even when we are not. The first phrase of lyrics to the song "Forever Reign" by Hillsong is this: "You are good, You are good, when there's nothing good in me." When we begin to feel discouraged by our sins, we can remember the truth in those words.