Bring Out What's Inside You

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." James 5:16 (NLT)

 

Combating sin on our own will result in our own demise. As long as our sin stays inside of us, it has complete control over our lives. We cannot expect to overcome sin and temptation on our own. Romans 7 refers to, “another power within me that is at war with my mind.” War is never won without allies. Our fight against sinful nature seems very personal, but it is not practical to fight it alone. There has to be some kind of confession and accountability. Those are scary terms for something so personal, but I guarantee there is no greater relief than opening yourself up to a trusting friend and bringing out your sin.

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Talking about our brokenness is one of the hardest things to do. Trust is such a fragile concept. It is difficult to know who we can trust to build us up and keep us accountable. Many of us have been hurt before, whether by strangers, friends, or even family members. When hurt by people close to us, we tend to put up barricades all around us to keep people at a distance. This is not exactly healthy when it comes to battling sin. We have to be vulnerable. The Google definition of the word “vulnerable” includes being exposed to the possibility of being attacked. I don’t know about you but, none of that sounds very inviting to me. I don’t want to expose myself to a friend and risk them making fun of me or hating me for what I’ve done. No matter what, this is difficult. Find someone you trust who cares, who is mature, and who loves you. Ask if you can talk to them. You do not have to share everything at once. Sometimes, it is easier to confess in conversation. I know this is risky, but it is better to risk being laughed at by a friend than to be outnumbered by our real enemy.

 

For most of my life, I have struggled with my identity. Everything I felt seemed opposite of what lined up with God’s word. So I did what was most natural to me, I concealed my emotions; I kept it inside. However, I couldn't just fix the way I felt, not on my own, and the older I got, the more complicated it became. I couldn’t handle this myself. I would cry out to God for help, but nothing changed; I never changed. It wasn’t until I opened up to my parents that I started seeing a shift in my life. They were able to help guide me and keep me accountable for my own actions. My feelings have never been equated to the picturesque normal, but each day, they become more aligned with God's word. And the more open I am about my struggle, the more change I see. 

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We all have different temptations eating away at us inside. Based on my experience, I have learned that we cannot attack this on our own. As long as our sin stays inside of us, we will never be able to advance in our calling. I encourage you to find someone you can trust, a mentor, parent, teacher, friend, someone you can confide in. Tell them what you are dealing with and ask if they can pray for you. Allow them to keep you accountable. It won’t be comfortable, but it's time to bring out what's inside of you.