To Speak the Truth
To Speak the Truth
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)
This message is an important one. No matter how bleak things appear and what we may think of God at any moment, God is always oriented toward the light and not the darkness. God’s intention is life and anything that is opposed to that is not of God.
Of course, that does not mean that everything is perfect. Our experience tells us that many things are not perfect. Our lives often wrestle with problems. Some of these are consequences of our own doing. Others are places where someone else is the cause of our struggle. Sometimes we can’t really figure out who to blame – we just know that something is wrong somewhere!
One of the commitments of Lutheranism is the call to confess our sins in ways that honor the truth of our lives. To deny our brokenness would be to live a lie. To imply that we don’t need to be shaped by God would be to deny our need for the one thing we need most. So we make space in our lives to acknowledge that we are not yet what we one day will be. We are works in progress and there are things in the way of us becoming the finished product God promises that we will one day be. The chance to confess is not a morbid thing – it opens us up to receive the love and grace that God has already given to us in Jesus.
Take a few moments with God and reflect. Where do you need growth, healing or new life? God’s intention is for you to have them. Confession – speaking the truth about ourselves – opens us up to receive the grace that God is pouring down upon us.
