Confession

 The eighth chapter of the book, The Pilgrim Heart by Darryl Tippens is about ‘confessing’.  We all are sinners, yet sometimes we only look to the obvious/blatant “bad” sins.  There are of course a varying degree of sin….yet it is sin whether we see them as little/small or big ones. God hates all sin, but loves the sinner and desires us to commit wholly to Him.  The chapter  brings out that a pilgrim heart is a confessional heart, a heart that faces, accepts, and tells the truth…..the whole truth, no ‘little white lies’-- whatever those are believed to be?   Unfortunately, in today’s culture, speaking truth is often defined as being intolerant and judgmental. We must speak and live  truth with compassionate love to be at peace as much as possible (Romans 12:18).  We all have hurt someone and been hurt.  The Bible is filled with scriptures referencing confessing our sin (James 5:16, 1 John 1:8-9, Psalm 32:3-5, etc.).  Doing nothing or being silent can be sinful….that is one of my flaws.  I have used the fact that I am more introverted than outgoing.  Thus, I often say/do nothing, ignore, dismiss, avoid.  Czeslaw Milosz quoted the following:  “In a room where people unanimously maintain a conspiracy of silence, one word of truth sounds like a pistol shot”.  Us introverts don’t have to say a lot, but speak firmly, boldly, and truthfully with compassion.  What are your confessions that you are holding on to?  Take them to God in prayer, share them with a trusted friend. If you are looking for a challenging read to help you daily live the life God wants/expects, this is a gut check type book that should transform your heart. Blessings in your pursuit…….TO