Spiritual PracticesSample

Confession and  Repentance

We are all sinners. We mess up and make mistakes — even after we are saved. 

That’s where confession and repentance come in. Salvation changes our status with God, but it’s through confession and repentance that our hearts become aligned with His. 

If salvation is the DTR, confession and repentance are the conversations that build trust and intimacy as we learn what breaks God’s heart. 

Confession and repentance don’t come naturally to anyone. Even the desire and ability to confess and repent is a gift from God. It means the Holy Spirit is showing where our thoughts and actions don’t match our status as God’s kids.  

Confession is declaring to God and others that you were wrong. God isn’t surprised by your confessions. He knows our shortcomings. Confession is humbly saying, “I was wrong. I messed up.”

With confession comes healing. James 5:16 promises that when we confess our sins to one another, we can be healed. When we admit we’re wrong and are met with love, the relationship is healed, and so are we. 

To repent is “to change your mind.” Our actions follow our thoughts. As we learn to think differently, we begin to live differently. Too often, we focus on changing our behavior, but repentance is all about learning to change our minds. 

The result of repentance is freedom. When we have the mind of Christ, we live how He lived. And when we live the way God designed, we find more freedom than we ever thought possible. 

We are freed from old ways of thinking and doing and freed to experience joy and peace in the presence of our heavenly Father. This is why confession and repentance are such good things. They set us free to live at peace with God and others.

Reflection Questions:

• Is there a sin you need to confess? Tell God first, then tell a trusted Christian friend. 
• How did you feel before and after those conversations? What’s one way that speaking up is healing you?
• What does repentance look like in this situation? What’s the thought that drove that action? How can you think differently about that situation moving forward?