Confess Your Sins
Many Christians acknowledge the need to confess sins to God (I John 1:9) and make it a regular part of their prayer life. But many of us neglect confessing to others when we sin against them! Have you 'blown it' recently with someone? Inevitably, we all make mistakes...Many times when confessing, we are tempted to:
1) Minimize the offense - "Yeah, I got angry and yelled at you, but that's not the main issue."
2) Rationalize/justify - "The reason I yelled was..."
3) Blame others - "I wouldn't have become angry if you hadn't..."
4) Offer a trite confession - "Okay, okay; I'm sorry."
5) Ignore/avoid the offense - "Let's talk about something else."
Any attempt to rationalize, justify, or blame others will dilute our confession. Even though what we're tempted to say may be true, it's inappropriate and counterproductive to discuss these issues at the same time we're confessing.
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As the Christmas holidays are approaching, I'm reminded of an example of 'confess your sins' I once witnessed between a husband and wife:
[Husband]
Hi, Sweetheart!
I am sorry about getting into an argument about putting up the Christmas lights. I guess that sometimes I feel like you are pushing me too hard when you want something. I realize that I was wrong and I am apologizing for being such a hard-headed guy. All I want is for you to be happy and be able to enjoy the holiday season. Nothing brightens the Christmas spirit like Christmas lights! I took the time to hang the lights for you today; and now I will be off to the hockey rink.
Again, I am very sorry for the way I acted yesterday. I'll be home later. Love you...
_____________________________________________
[Wife's response]
I am sorry about getting into an argument about putting up the Christmas lights. I guess that sometimes I feel like you are pushing me too hard when you want something. I realize that I was wrong and I am apologizing for being such a hard-headed guy. All I want is for you to be happy and be able to enjoy the holiday season. Nothing brightens the Christmas spirit like Christmas lights! I took the time to hang the lights for you today; and now I will be off to the hockey rink.
Again, I am very sorry for the way I acted yesterday. I'll be home later. Love you...
_____________________________________________
[Wife's response]
Hi, Honey!
Thank you for that heart-felt apology. I don't often get an apology from you, and I truly appreciate it. I, too, felt bad about the argument and wanted to apologize. I realize that I can sometimes be a little pushy. I will try to respect your feelings from now on. Thank you for taking the time to hang the Christmas lights for me. It really means a lot. In the spirit of giving, I washed your truck for you; and now I am off to the mall. I love you too!
Thank you for that heart-felt apology. I don't often get an apology from you, and I truly appreciate it. I, too, felt bad about the argument and wanted to apologize. I realize that I can sometimes be a little pushy. I will try to respect your feelings from now on. Thank you for taking the time to hang the Christmas lights for me. It really means a lot. In the spirit of giving, I washed your truck for you; and now I am off to the mall. I love you too!
