Freedom in Community

It’s hard to imagine confessing our most secret sin to someone else. But it’s likely harder to imagine walking through life—and struggling with that secret sin—with no one to help us. From the very beginning, God created us for community. He declared that it was not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18) and throughout Scripture encouraged community.

Part of being in community is confession. We tend to cringe when we hear that word—and for good reason. It’s much more comfortable to keep things tucked away in the dark. But hiding our sin from others only isolates us in shame and discouragement as we struggle alone. And that is exactly where Satan wants us—alone. That is when we are most vulnerable to temptation. When we give in to temptation, it perpetuates the cycle of shame, and we resolve even more to keep our sin hidden.

However, freedom comes in the light. When we confess our sin to God and to others, it is no longer hidden in the shadows. Once in the light, it can be dealt with. Although we often think of community as a large group of people, at least at first, it might just be one or two close friends whom you can trust with your hurt and shame. Scripture tells us that “two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up" (Ecclesiastes 4:9–10). This is a beautiful picture of what life is like in loving community. When we fall, there is someone to help us up, dust us off, and walk alongside us on our journey to freedom.

Pray With Me

Lord, give me the boldness to confess my struggles and shame with someone else. Help me to encourage others in the same way, so that together we can move forward in freedom and relationship with You. Amen.