Living Fearless by Jamie WinshipSýnishorn

Confession

The way for things to be unlocked in you and in your spirit is for you to pay attention. Praying together allows us to pay attention. Don’t be afraid. Let’s begin by practicing this little thing called telling the truth. In Scripture, truth-telling is called confession.

When I was a police officer and had to arrest somebody, I would bring them in and ask for a confession. I didn’t ask them for an apology. We teach confession as though it were just saying, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” If a police officer says, “Write the truth about what happened,” and you write “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” it resolves nothing.

We grew up thinking confession was just telling everyone and God that we’re sorry about stuff. But “I’m sorry” doesn’t lead to transformation.

Confession is telling God the truth about what you really believe about Him, yourself, and others. It’s the greatest act, a sacrament. God loves honest confession. If I say to God, “I think you let me down every day, and I’m afraid to take a new job because I’m afraid you won’t show up,” he will always work with that. Always.

He will respond to truth. Jesus says, “For if you embrace the truth, it will release true freedom into your lives” (John 8:32). Truth always sets you free. Hiding the truth always makes you a slave. If you will not tell the truth, you’re in bondage to the lie, the deception, and the rationalization.

Confession activates repentance. Repentance is changing the way you think, turning and going a new way. God tells you the truth about who He really is, who you really are, and who your neighbor really is. God’s truth empowers you to believe in a new way, which leads to thinking in a new way, which leads to acting in a new way. This is transformation.

Confession, repentance, transformation.

Every time I feel intimidated by a situation, I say, “Lord, I feel fearful right now. I feel powerless with this person.” That’s confession. Notice I’m not saying, “Lord, I’m so sorry for feeling afraid; please take the fear away.” God doesn’t want to remove the fear; he wants to transform it.

Acknowledging the truth about your fear opens the way for repentance and for your truth (fear) to be transformed by God’s truth. Then you have authority over the fear rather than the fear controlling you. That is called freedom.

Practice confessing those things the Holy Spirit shows you today. You will recognize His conviction as you practice paying attention.