(The following is the November 7 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read James 5 and pay close attention to verses 13-18.)

Which is more difficult, confessing sins to God or other people? I suspect most would say it’s harder to confess sins to other people. Why? We usually pray to God privately, believing he loves, hears, and is eager to forgive us when we genuinely repent. We come to God humbled by our sin, seeking a restored relationship with him that our sin damaged.

Our relationship with others isn’t the same as it is with God. When we confess sins to others, we come to imperfect people who are fellow strugglers in the faith, hoping they love, hear, and will forgive as needed, but there are no guarantees about how they will respond. We are probably ashamed and embarrassed by our sins, and it isn’t easy to admit them to others. It seems easier to confess them to God, pray that we overcome those temptations in the future, and keep pretending before others that we have everything under control. But that isn’t what the Bible tells us to do. James wrote, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect” (v. 16).

Christians need each other. We are pilgrims on the same journey and can support each other by obeying God’s Word. It may feel awkward and uncomfortable, and we must exercise wisdom regarding who we confess to and in what context. But God knows that if we lock arms together to overcome sin, we’ll more likely conquer it and take a positive step toward becoming more Christlike.

Swallow your pride. “Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another.”

Next Step:
Do you have a Christian friend with whom you can confess sins and pray for each other? How long has it been since you’ve done so?