In order to be forgiven, we have to admit we are wrong.
I hear all kinds of things working in an elementary school office. One of the things I hear a lot of is excuses. Earlier this week I heard a little boy tell our principal that his cousin accidentally put a stuffed animal in his backpack. How exactly did that happen?
A couple of days ago, a child came into the clinic who had accidentally stuck a pencil in his nose. Again, how did that happen?
All of the daily excuses I hear, got me to thinking about human need to never be wrong.
We seem wired to deny fault.
The very first human beings, masterpieces, created by God and given all they needed not only to survive here on planet earth, but to thrive, put in paradise, not only disobeyed God, but they tried to hide their sin.
They denied it.
We live in a culture, thanks to our lawyer friends, that has taught us to never admit fault, no matter what, and in many ways it has permeated every part of our lives.
Yet as Christians, we are called to be in this world, but not of it. We are called to live differently.
We know that we are sinners, but we also know that we are forgiven. But, there is a catch and the catch is called confession.
Confession has become kind of an ugly word these days, because it is admitting we are wrong. It’s admitting we did something that we shouldn’t have and asking for forgiveness for the act.
But, it’s a step we really can’t skip.
How can we be granted forgiveness if we aren’t willing to admit we have done anything wrong in the first place? It’s an uncomfortable conversation because we don’t like to be wrong.
I love to read about King David, in the Bible. He was a passionate man, who loved God. He would even dance for God to show his adoration. The Bible says David was “a man after God’s own heart.” But, he also made huge mistakes that cost lives.
What I love about David, is that he admitted it. He asked God for forgiveness and he repented.
God forgave him. God will forgive us too, but we have to ask. Refusing to admit we are wrong does nothing, but drive a wedge between our hearts and much needed grace and redemption. He already knows the things we have said and done, just like my principal knew that no one accidentally put a stuffed animal in a backpack.
My principal told the little guy who fessed up to having the stuffed animal, that his cousin wouldn’t be in trouble as long as he left it in the backpack. I’m sure that took a load off of his mind.
Our confession of our sins frees us too. It allows us to be forgiven. It allows us to bask in grace. It draws us closer to God and it makes us free from carrying that heavy weight around our hearts.
While we may be physically wired to deny, we have to remember that we are spiritual creatures too, created for bigger and better things than the mere physical.
A stuffed animal in a backpack reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂