Faith — The Detour - Wednesday
TODAY’S VERSE
James 5:16
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (ESV)
Last year, my son and I joined a class offered by a friend who is a law enforcement officer for the Department of Fish & Wildlife. The point of the class is to prepare you with some basic knowledge that could really help you if you find yourself in a tough situation outdoors somewhere. One of the first times we met, we were talking about what to do if you were stranded or lost in the woods. And the very first thing to do seems obvious, but it gets overlooked all the time: You have to admit that you are lost. If you bypass this first step, you can convince yourself that you’re fine. Meanwhile, you just continue wandering around, wasting time and resources instead of beginning to move toward a solution.
But admitting that we’re lost is tough, right? We’re really good at convincing ourselves that we’re okay. We tell ourselves, “It’s a struggle, but it’s not an addiction. I can stop if I really try.” Or, “It’s not even really flirting, I’m just being friendly. It’s my personality.” The truth is that we get really good at lying to ourselves, saying, “I got this,” and what we need to do is admit that we’re lost. Remember, God gave His one and only Son, Jesus, because we don’t “got this.” And we never have.
James 5:16 tells us that we should confess our sins to one another, and pray for one another. The word confess just means “to say the same thing.” When we confess our sins, we are saying the same thing about our sin that God says about it. We are getting honest. And when we get honest, with God and with trusted brothers and sisters in Christ, we can get on the path to freedom and healing.
APPLICATION
Take the step to get honest today, to admit where you’re at, and to ask for help. One way to do that is to reach out and ask for prayer. On our Care Page, you can find the prayer text number for your campus, along with other helpful resources. Maybe you need to find some people who you can share real-life stuff with. Joining a group is a great step toward that!
PRAYER
Spend a few minutes talking to your perfect, heavenly Father about the things going on in your life. Tell Him how you’re actually doing. Be honest about where you’re stuck. Ask Him to meet you where you’re at, and to lead you toward the freedom He wants for you, the freedom that’s only available in and through Jesus.