Turning to God
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us
our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” -1st John 1:9
Something of crime breaks off from the act and lodges under the skin of the criminal, like a splinter from the handle of a knife. It sticks itself awkwardly behind shame, just out of reach of responsibility. The criminal can’t seem to get at it, so he leaves it alone. There it festers.
The God who is faithful will not let us suffer on, and the God who is just is not willing to simply numb the pain without addressing the wound. His message: “You really ought to have someone pull that out.”
It is in the act of confession that we show all and tell of how the splinter got there, and the stupid thing we did, and why we can’t reach it on our own. It does no good for us to pronounce it gone, because we can’t, in fact, see all of our own wrong-doing. We need someone else to say, “It’s not there anymore.” Or, if they go to church they will tell us, “You’re forgiven.”
Turning to God means first turning away from other things we’ve sought in his place. You can choose not to confess, and instead you will fester. This is why we’ve heard stories of old men turning themselves in to sheriffs for crimes long forgotten. Better to give in. Whatever shame comes with confession, we will not be scarred by it, because he will cleanse us from all unrighteousness, even a reputation for it. On the way to hearing God, we must confess to him that we have not been listening.
– James W. Miller, God Scent p. 12 © 2006