Only One Thing: Proverbs 28:13

We’ve all been there, listening to the puffed up person across the table who is always right. 

They are always better, faster, stronger and in case they are not, there is a really good excuse for the situation and it has absolutely nothing to do with them--because, you know, 

THEY ARE ALWAYS RIGHT.

It drives me crazy.

Imagine what it does to God?

Which brings me to the scripture:

Proverbs 28:13

No one who conceals transgressions will prosper, but one who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

I am guilty of behaving like I am infallible. I am often insufferable.  I am frequently impatient, dishonest, greedy, lazy, rude, self-righteous and quite full of sin.

You are too. 

(Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.)

I am slow to fully admit all the places I’ve fallen short with God. I am not the first one to jump up and shout: “Hey God, here are the 553 sins I committed in the past five minutes.”

Nah, I keep my sin to myself. No sense in harping on all my transgressions. Right? 

Right. Because it is awesome to walk around holding onto our sin like a security blanket. We own our sin, because it is ours, right?

That is the lie we tell ourselves. God wants us to forsake it--he wants us to disown it. And the only way to do it is to confess.

We should not confess out of guilt; but instead because we are guilty. We should not confess out of obligation, but because we feel obliged to apologize to the one we love. We know God loves us; but when we confess, for real, in a prayerful, dedicated fashion, we feel God loves surrounding us. 

And we feel forgiven. 

This week, I will:  

Confess, confess, confess--out of love for God and because I want to feel His forgiveness, not just know it. 

Wonder what you’ve stumbled upon? Read past Only One Thing: The Bible Study for Bad Christians, here.