If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (NLT)
A Statue and the Confession
Having something to confess can be terrifying. Often, the things that we need to confess are tied to other emotions and feelings that are trying their hardest to keep our confession tight-lipped and silent. Shame, fear, guilt… they all try and lock certain information away deep inside our minds, making us careful not to hint at whatever it is that needs to be confessed.
Back in 2002, I went to Hillsong College. Through a (very annoying) series of events, I found myself desperately in need of somewhere to live. Through another (divine) series of events, I met a couple at church that ended up offering me a room in their home. They were an absolute literal God-send. I was moving my few possessions into the lovely room they had rented out to me when I noticed an Egyptian looking figurine on the bedside table. The husband, Rob, told me that he did in fact buy the figurine in Egypt and that it was quite sentimentally valuable to him. With that, he walked out of the room, I went to put something on my bed, and I knocked over the statue, and the sentimental figurine from Egypt, flew through the air, crashed onto the floor, and broke in two.
I didn’t move.
I just stood there staring at the statue waiting to be discovered. But no one heard the crash, no one came to inspect what the noise was all about. So I did what any poor college student who was trying to make a good impression on the couple who had potentially saved her from homelessness would do… I picked up the statue, put the head back on its body and stood it back up the bedside table. And I didn’t tell a soul. I was terrified of how hurt and disappointed Rob would be if he found out I broke the statue. And the longer I didn’t tell them, the more ashamed I became of not telling them, so the more determined I became not to tell them.
Anyone know this story in their own words?
A few months went by, I was about to graduate and move home. Rob and Cath had been wonderful and very generous to me. And I knew that before I left, I needed to tell them about the statue. I didn't want them to find out it was broken after I left. I left it to the last minute, and as I said goodbye, I very awkwardly told them. It came outt in a rush and tumble of embarrassed and sorry words.
Rob laughed. And laughed. And laughed. And then said, “Nothing a bit of glue can’t fix!”
Unless I had told them what was broken, they wouldn’t have known to fix it.
Now, God is a bit different. He knows what’s broken within us. He sees the cracks and chips in our world. The torn flesh and the infected blood. But unless we open our lives to him through confession, the wounds of our heart stay hidden and buried, just like the words of our unspoken confessions. Our confessions, admissions and acknowledgments of our sins and pain and struggle and hurt open wide the doors of lives to receive from him what we need to be whole.
Having something to confess makes you human. We all have things locked up inside us needing to be voiced. We become men and women of courage when we speak them out.
Brené Brown says,
“Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen… Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.”
Got something to confess? Go ahead and confess it. Don’t be afraid. God is waiting for it. He is eager and full of anticipation for the moment when you allow yourself to be honest and authentic and open before him so that YOU can see him for who he really is. Love and light.
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