Isn’t It Time?
A new priest, born and raised in Texas, was nervous about hearing confessions, so he asked an older priest to sit in on his first couple of sessions. After hearing the first few confessions, the old priest asked him to step out of the booth for some advice.
“Try this: Cross your arms over your chest, and rub your chin with one hand and say things like ‘yes, I see,’ and ‘yes, go on,’ and ‘I understand.’”
The young priest crossed his arms, rubbed his chin, and repeated everything.
Then the old priest said, “Now, don't you think that's a little better than slapping your knee and saying, ‘Are you for real? What happened next?’”
I doubt that any of you with a Catholic background experienced a priest so eager to hear your confession. While I disagree with the theological premise of confessing sins to a priest for absolution, I think the majority of them take the task seriously. And though the Bible says nothing about confessing our sins to a priest, Jesus’ brother, James, did say that we should confess our sins to each other. Not for forgiveness, only God can forgive. But for healing, as James puts it.
Of course, we should confess our sins to God, and He promises to forgive (1 John 1:9). But when it comes to gaining victory over repeated sin issues, that rarely happens until we are willing to courageously open up and confess to a few trusted Christian friends who can help hold us accountable in areas where we are weak. It’s been rightly said, “The sins we most often repeat are the sins we most often confess to God alone.” It’s not until we open up to one another that we begin the journey of recovery.
What have you been struggling with? What is it that if everyone in your friend group witnessed you would be really embarrassed? Issues with your tongue? The way you talk to or treat some family members? How you act at work or with your lost friends? Is it a life-dominating habit like substance abuse, alcoholism, or porn? What’s the secret that you’ve gone to God about many times, but it keeps happening?
If you really want victory, you’ve got to start opening up to a few people you can trust who will also point you in the right direction. You’ve felt defeated long enough. It’s time be be healed.
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” (James 5:16 NIV).