“Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”
We don’t confess our sin to each other very often. Because that would infringe on our national pastime of presenting a perfect self-image to the world.
We use “filtered” photographs, staged activities, and blatant lies to present a deceptive picture of who we are….
Why would we ruin all that by telling someone the truth?
We might “humble brag” by confessing a struggle with pride or self-discipline. But our propensity to tell the truth diminishes as the sin gets less socially acceptable.
Pornography, alcohol abuse, and drug addictions are less likely to be shared and the probability lessens as we get into sexual deviance, theft, and acts society deems as “darker” sins.…. We not only don’t confess these… we deny them.
This obsession with hiding our flaws and fighting our addictions by ourselves is the enemy’s greatest tool. Our insistence on handling problems alone makes us vulnerable like an antelope that has wandered away from the herd.
We hide our sin in the dark and put up a façade…. but sin flourishes in the dark, so God tells us to drag it out into the light.
Your first step is to find some loyal brothers and come clean about your struggle, then together you devise a plan to eliminate this sin from your life.
The unmentionable wickedness that has paralyzed you for so long is a paper tiger… and if you will stop trying to be The Lone Ranger - stop hiding in the shadows - and reach out to some friends … its lack of power will become evident.
That does not mean to post it on Facebook or shout it in the streets. It means to find some buddies you trust – tell them you need help and get their commitment to hold you accountable and to pray for you …. Resolve to remove this sin from your life whatever it costs …and according to God, the prayers of your friends will “accomplish much”.
Life is not an individual activity…it is a team sport, and we must have each other’s back…Be courageous enough to tell the truth, and watch the truth set you free.
“The confession of evil works is the first beginning of good works.” - Saint Augustine
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