Sin damages relationships. With God. With others… with ourselves. It can bring guilt and shame, making us want to hide like Adam and Eve in the Garden. To cover up and try our best to go unnoticed, so no one will know who we really are.
Don’t believe the lie. We’re here to remind you of who you really are: cherished.
But, sometimes, just as David laments in Psalm 32, the weight of our sins becomes too heavy to bear silently.
Friends, we don’t have to hide.
Here are 3 freeing reasons to be honest with him:
Compassion
God’s grace has you covered. We have received his forgiveness. We don’t need to confess to God just to show how ashamed or sorry we are. Yet, when we trust him enough to be honest with him, the one who knows us better and loves us better than we could ever imagine continues to lavish us with his abundant forgiveness (1 John 1:9).
Comfort
We don’t need to carry the weight of our mistakes. Jesus has already done that. We can rest and take comfort in the fact that, when looking at us, he sees a beloved son. A beloved daughter. He looks at us with love and mercy. He wants us to take comfort in knowing this truth– he did not require our perfection before dying on the cross for humanity, and he doesn’t expect it now. Even when talking to him honestly about our struggles, we can experience the catharsis of confiding in one who will never stop loving us (Romans 5:8).
☎️Counsel
We don’t have to know how to “fix” ourselves. When we face the difficult parts of ourselves with God and ask for help, it opens our hearts more to the work of the Spirit. Admitting that we have made a mistake or that we might need help is an act of humility and trust. We prepare ourselves for his truth and wisdom by being real about our struggles, and knowing that he will walk alongside us, and help guide us back into the light (Romans 8:26).