Oh, how we love the second part of James 5:16! We love to recount how Isaiah asked God to hold the rain for three years and He did. We love to know that our prayers matter to God and that they accomplish a lot.

Trouble is, there’s a first part to that verse that we ignore way too often.

“Confess your sins one to another…” He says.

WHAT???

Tell someone about my lies?
Admit to a friend about my gossip?
Share about my envy, backbiting, and gluttony?

Nuh-uh! They’ll judge me! They’ll tell everyone! No way!

What if there’s bigger stuff, like adultery or porn or abuse?

Well, fact is, God say to do it, so yeah.

We’re supposed to admit to another human our wrongs even as we hear from another human their wrongs.

We do this for healing. Ours and theirs. We don’t confess our sins to one another for absolution, only God can give that.

We do it because when we do, we break the chain those sins have wrapped around us, holding our mind and emotions captive unto death. Not our physical death, but the death of joy, peace, LIFE.

We are to be the person who can hear another believer confess their sins and simply say, “let’s pray.” We need to be the trustworthy friend who tells no one else about what we’ve heard. We need to be the one who is different… Christlike.

And we must seek out those who are the same to admit our sins to.

In this day and time, in today’s culture, when we as a society have become calloused to sin, barely even recognizing it – even denying that EVERY sin is what separates us from God, we will seem different, even odd, when we have these frank discussions.

I can tell you, though, there is most definitely healing in this act. I’ve experienced it. It’s real.

Step 5 in most recovery programs says, “Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.”

Many have found that this step is where freedom from addiction, abuse, past memories, anything enslaving them begins. It is when this confession is done that the mind can think clearly, unfiltered by guilt, shame, and fear of being found out. It is here that the heart takes off again, able to dream of the better, the amazing, the joy of an unencumbered life.

Do you have a person to whom you can confess your sins? Someone trustworthy and honorable who won’t try to fix you, but will constantly point you to the One who can? If you don’t, seek one. Today. Don’t wait till they show up. Start looking. Ask God to show you who He has for you, then listen closely and watch carefully so you don’t miss His answer.

Meanwhile, BE that person. Be trustworthy and honorable when someone bares their heart to you, good, bad, and ugly. Don’t try to fix them. Love them. Point them to Jesus. And never tell anyone the things they’ve told you.

Oh, and don’t wait to confess those sins to God. He is always ready to listen and He has all the forgiveness and answers.

So, Faye, why would I need to confess my sins to another person once I confess them to God?

Simple answer?

BECAUSE HE SAID TO.

He said that’s where your healing is.

Don’t let your pride or shame keep you from that healing! Get on it today. It’s a gift from God!

Coffee, Bible, Journal.