My Devotional: Confessions

CONFESSIONS

By Liz Omondi | Email: timestodayke@gmail.com | Image courtesy: mobile.twitter.com

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” James 5:16

It is one thing to confess your sins to God when you are in a secret place, it is another to confess your sins to another person. To be in a vulnerable place can be quite daunting yet, God’s Word actually commands us to confess our sins one unto another. What’s the benefit? Well, from the simple understanding I have of James 5:16 verse in the Scripture, it marks the beginning of a healing process when after confession, you pray for each other.

Even before I begin this unnerving process of making my confessions I am also reminded of the Scripture in 1 John 1:8-9

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

This is quite comforting. Now let’s take a deep breath.

If you are like me, there are certain things that I know that I know I ought to do because it is not only right, but is for my own good.

Well, my first confession is that, for a very long time exercising, or working out has been one of my most dreaded activities that I had to push myself to do. It is only until recently that I have started enjoying my workouts. Why do I do it? Because Paul told Timothy (1 Timothy 4:8)

“For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”

There is value in physical training. I don’t know if Timothy was overdoing it, but Paul doesn’t rebuke him, but points out that it has some value, though godliness has value for all things.

Looking after one’s spiritual health is very important and should be a priority, but that does not mean we should neglect our physical health. In addition, the Bible says,

“19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your bodies."

(1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

and we also see that our greatest Role Model, Jesus Christ, grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man (Luke 2:52). This means His growth and development was well balanced, both physically, mentally, spiritually and socially. I have no excuse but to get on with it.

Sleep is very important for human development and scientific research has actually proven this. So when I lay on my bed to rest in the night I am doing a good thing that will benefit me. However, I confess that when my phone alarm clock goes off in the wee hours of the morning, the temptation to silence the alarm and to back to shut-eye is on extremely high red alert.

But an even louder alarm goes off in my head that says,

“A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.”

This one verse that is repeated in twice in Proverbs 6:10-11 and 24:33-34, makes to literally jump out of bed in such a way that sleep completely disappears.

I think of times when my Role Model Jesus rose early in the morning when it was still dark to go and pray, I am encouraged to copy Him. I know the value of practicing this for I know, I will not find another time during the day as precious as very early in the morning when there are absolutely no interruptions.

What of the times when I feel treated in a tyrannical way? Unholy thoughts bombard my head like a spray of bullets from a machine gun. Those unholy thoughts can linger on for a few minutes before I remember to whisper a short prayer, asking God to forgive my evil thoughts.

The Scripture verse that comes to mind at such times is

“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:19-21)

I find my struggles similar to what Paul describes in Romans 7:21-25

“ So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

God is faithful and just. He does forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Like Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

May the Holy Spirit guide us in this journey to do what is right before Him.