Courage to Confess
Bible Reading: John 1:5-10
Author: Cathy Stewart (Tennessee, USA)
Author: Cathy Stewart (Tennessee, USA)
Thursday 23 April 2026 © The Upper Room.
With an all-encompassing dread, I feared making mistakes.
When I inadvertently did something wrong, I kept quiet and hoped no one would find out.
I entered the corporate world in my 50s.
One day, a mistake was made on the job, and my boss prepared to inform the offender that mistakes would not be tolerated.
With a knot in my stomach, I took a deep breath, interrupted the conversation, and confessed, ‘It was my fault.
I didn’t provide the correct information.’ Silence filled the room.
My boss looked at me in disbelief. At first, I braced for the tirade to come; but then I felt my stomach ease. Admitting my error had brought peace to my spirit.
Confession gives us peace and returns us to a right relationship with the Lord.
The sooner we confess our sins, the less time we spend with a wall standing between us and God.
Not admitting our mistakes creates walls in our personal relationships as well.
The people we wrong may never realise that we are at fault, but our fear of being found out can destroy the friendship. Restoration with God and with other people begins with confession. Freedom comes when we admit our imperfections.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for the freedom that comes with confession. Give us the strength to rise above our insecurity and to admit when we are wrong. Amen
