The Courageous Practice of Confession
Confession is a courageous act. In it, God calls us look at ourselves with honesty and humility, presenting our sins and failures to God and, at times, others. The practice of confession calls us to take off our masks, to become vulnerable.
Fortunately, our faith is in a God who already knows us and loves us for who we truly are—confession is not for God’s benefit as much as it is for our own.
Adele Calhoun writes about confession: “In the presence of the Holy One we give up on appearing good and fixing our sin. We lay down our ability to change by the power of the self. We turn to Jesus and seek forgiveness.” Let’s turn to Calhoun’s Spiritual Disciples Handbook for a couple ways to practice confession.
1. Imagine being in a safe place, surrounded by the welcoming presence and love of Jesus.
* Ask Jesus to help you see yourself as He sees you. Remember He sees you completely, without judgment, and only with love.
* Using the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) or the "seven deadly sins", Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, & Pride as a guide, journal your sins. When you have finished, go through each one at a time, asking God to forgive you and help you to become more like Jesus.
* Then burn your list as a symbolic act of what It means to have God remove your sins from you and to set you free from their burdens.
2. Set aside some time for self-examination and confession.
In God's presence, ask yourself: Who have I injured recently through thoughtlessness, neglect, anger, or in some other way?
* As the Holy Spirit brings people to mind, confess your feelings about these people to God, asking God for guidance about the way forward (especially If you sense you need to confess your offense to them & seek their forgiveness).
