“Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. (Selah) Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD’– and you forgave the guilt of my sin. (Selah)” – Psalm 32:2-5

Living with the guilt of sin causes a sickness in the depths of our soul. This sickness effects our relationship to God, our relationship to others, and even our physical health. The only way to rid ourselves of this sickness is to bring our sins to God in confession. But what keeps us from doing this? There are many excuses for not confessing. Sometimes pride keeps us silent. Other times we know that confessing to God also means we will be convicted to reconcile with those we have wronged, and this may not be a step we are ready to take. And still other times our sins are so egregious that we can’t imagine a perfect God being willing to forgive us for such serious offenses. But take heart, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Not one of the excuses listed above, or anything else for that matter, is good reason to keep silent with our sins. The price of not confessing is always much greater than the price of letting our pride fall down and being transparent before God. Father, today we come in full recognition of our sin, but also of Your unconditional love and boundless mercy displayed through Jesus Christ; in light of this, we ask for Your forgiveness, healing, and restoration in our lives.