Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16
I look good online. I appear to be all the things I’m not. Here’s the truth you need to know:
I can be greedy…
I can be prideful…
I can be arrogant…
I can be stubborn…
I can be lustful…
I can be unforgiving…
I can be judgmental…
I can be egotistical…
I can be selfish….
I can be uncaring…
There’s my list…Thankful, as always, for His grace…
I don’t want my prayers hindered in any way because I’m pretending to be someone I’m not. I feel better letting you know who I really am some days.
What do you need to confess today?
The church where I’ve found my home still practices the traditional sacrament of Confession.
It’s not merely a catharsis for me. I see it as an issue of coaching, getting the halftime speech in the locker room after all the dirt’s out in the open, finding out what to do to finish the game with intent and power and victory. Confession is for growth.
That's awesome Jeffrey.
I've always cringed at that verse. What if I confess my sins to someone and they think less of me? What if they don't reciprocate? What if… And then I realized that my biggest sin is pride. I'm too proud to let people know who I really am. And that leads to my next most common sin – I lie a lot. Usually about really stupid, little things (aka little "white" lies) but always to make people think more highly of me or to cover up some possible embarrassment. I want to learn to speak the truth in all circumstances – especially if it will chip away at my pride a bit.
Wow! I love the transparency here. God will surely bless a clean heart. Don’t get prideful when He does! :). I’m with you on that one also. Thanks!
Daaannng, bro…I am blown away. Not by your list, but by your candor. Very few leaders in any field will be so honest about their weaknesses/faults/struggles, much less so a leader who happens to also be a Pastor.
Had I not read the first couple of sentences, I would have sworn you were writing about me. I am those things and more far too often, but am working it out daily.
Please know that if this reaches no one else, it has hit home for me. I have to make it a point to at some time to check out your ministry when I am in Clarksville as I am on business every couple of months. Really good stuff.
Thanks Kevin. I would love to have you stop by if you are in town.
Wow, I'm blown away by your openness. I also didn't read this until this morning…we've been in a witnessing seminar all week at our church. Last night the evangelist talked about this exact same thing. That we, as believers, can't even begin to witness if we are full of ourselves and sin…that we must be emptied in order for the Holy Spirit to fill us.
I have the wrong intentions. I am lustful. I seek my own. And so many more.
That's a great point..about witnessing and being honest and transparent. Wasn't thinking that direction, but it's true. Thanks.
I'm a liar and a coward, but by God's grace I'm saved. In other words, I'm a recovering human.
That's honesty! Thanks
Gosh, looks pretty much like YOUR list! Thanks for the reminder! Perfect timing!
Thanks!
You pretty much hit it on the head! I guess I could add in there, 'I can be short tempered'! Hate that one! Not to proud of all my faults but certainly thankful for God's great grace for a broken man like myself.
Thanks for the post!
Thanks for your honesty!
Me too… 🙂
Thanks! We’re twins
Pastor Ron – you are true man of God! I confess each of those things too, not just to say I do, but because I truly deal with all these as well. I also confess that I am not praying, fasting, or studying in a way pleasing to my Savior and Father. I was really reflecting recently on the lyrics of the Audio Adrenaline song "Sometimes I'm a liar sometimes I'm a fake
sometimes I'm a hypocrite that everybody hates
sometimes I'm a poet sometimes I'm a preacher
sometimes I watch life go by sitting on the bleacher"
more here – http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/audioadrenaline/ma…
Very powerful and convicting – thanks as always for timely, challenging, and encouraging posts…
Thanks for sharing this. I will check it out
Thanks for the honesty Ron and for being transparent.
I hit everyone of those on your list as well as many more that I would probably receive a max characters entered error if I were to type them all in a comment window.
You are worse than me…ha..I win!
Just kidding… But seriously… Isn’t that who most of us really are?
Thanks man!