{On My Heart} Mondays. [Confessing to Each other]

As a church we finished going through the entire book of Genesis. 

It only took just over a year =) 

I'm thankful for all the things we have been learning & whatever we look at next.

Today our pastor had the congregation spend the teaching time sharing with each other in a time of confession, prayer & praise.

This meant sharing in front of the whole church things you want others to be praying for, praises to share with the body & confessing specific sin to each other.

'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.'

{James 5:16}

What a humbling wonderful experience.

It was incredible how the entire section of time laid aside for this was filled with a continuous stream of people wanting to share with each other ways they were struggling and confess specific sins. Some seemingly quite big.

I am so thankful to be a part of a church body that is combating pride and openly admitting struggles.

How easy I find it to pretend that my life is ok because I don't do things as bad as others.

How easy it is for me to reduce my sin in my mind because it isn't as bad as what the person next to me is dealing with.

Today tied in well with another thing the Lord had placed on my heart a week or so ago. 

As I was reading a book in one of my favorite series, a conversation happened in which the characters were talking about a specific sin and how christians are often seen as judgemental and narrow-minded because of the way they respond to this specific sin. 

'We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.'

 {1 Timothy 1:8-11}

Scripture shows us that God doesn't have something against a person commiting a specific sin. 

He hates all sin. 

We are all born with a bend toward sin. We are not perfect, none of us.

There is no sin that is bigger than any other.

Just because I didn't go and sleep around with someone doesn't mean that God dislikes the fact that I am prideful.

That I might think myself better than someone else because I don't struggle with that particular problem.

It is the same to Him. 

Such a humbling reminder for me that everyone struggles with sin.

Even those people who seem larger than life to me.

Some people's struggles happen to be more obvious and end up hurting others.

But that doesn't mean that a 'good person' doesn't struggle.

The Lord has been nudging me and showing me how I need to make much of my own sin, not think of myself as better than others because theirs seems more serious.

It is all serious.

And this is good because it helps me deal with those bad areas, with His help.

Praise Him for dying for us and making salvation possible through His son.

It is only Him in me that is good.

He loves us and knows that life is hard for us....He promises to be with us and asks us to encourage each other, confess our sin to each other and to keep fighting against whatever sin we struggle with.

While we are fighting, we are healthy.

It shows we are engaged in fighting our sinful nature.

I am so thankful that He loves each of us.

Regardless of what each of us has done in the past.

Much Love,

L

P.S. Please do not misunderstand me in assuming that good things are what makes us right with God. We can't earn our salvation. If you have questions, please email me =)

I would love to talk with you or pray with you if you have a prayer request.

[allgloriouswithinblog@gmail.com]