Forgiving Challenge Kids: The 11-Day Forgiveness AdventureSample

The 'Fess Up (Confession)

Every one of us has messed up. It's hard to forgive someone else, but what about when the other person isn't even sorry??? That's even worse! Some people won't ever say they are sorry, but should we still forgive anyway?

A police officer named Steven McDonald worked in New York City. One night, he was doing his job and caught a group of teenagers suspected of robbery. Unfortunately, one of the teens shot him three times with a gun as he searched them. The shooting left him paralyzed from the neck down and unable to breathe without a machine.

Mr. McDonald would no longer be able to work as a policeman. He would never walk again or even be able to move without help.

Mr. McDonald was a Christian. He was furious at the teenager who shot him, but he also felt the need to forgive him. So, nine months after he was shot, Mr. McDonald announced on the news that he had forgiven the young man, even though the shooter had never even said he was sorry. I'm sure it was extremely hard to do this, but being a Christian, Mr. McDonald knew that he would need to let go of his anger to move on with his life. His life was forever changed, but at least now he could move on without constant outrage.

Sometimes we don't 'Fess Up when we should either. Maybe you don't even know you've done wrong. Jesus wants to remove your guilt by His grace. And it all starts with confession. Confession is owning up to what you did and saying you're sorry. God invites us into this practice, in the words of 1 John 1:9:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

When we confess our sins to God, we get to see Him do His work in our lives. Without God's forgiveness, it is impossible to experience freedom. It is not through our power or hard work but God's kindness that we get to have freedom from our mess-ups.

Challenge: Practice making some confessions today. This could be private, in your own heart. You could also confess to a trusted friend or guardian. Remember, confession always leads to freedom! Nothing you say or do can separate you from Jesus. He will always welcome you with open arms.