Friend Request: Devotions From Time Of GraceSample

Friends confess 

Most people are terrified to confess their sins to me. I guess that’s the nature of sin—it prefers to hide in the dark rather than be dragged into the light. But what I wish everyone knew was the fact that I like people better when I hear how messed up they are! If they wouldn’t be avoiding eye contact, they would see me nodding and smiling and saying, “Me too!”

Psychologist Debra Oswald believes the best way to start and deepen a friendship is through confession. Perhaps that’s one of many reasons why James commands us, “Confess your sins to each other” (James 5:16). While we certainly can (and should!) confess our sins directly to God, there is relational power in opening up to a fellow Christian. Often that moment of vulnerability turns two people from fellow Christians into Christian friends.

Do you have relationships where you’re that honest? Do you have a small, trusted group of friends who know the real you, the you who is insecure despite the college degree, overwhelmed despite the smiling profile pic, and worried despite the suburban lifestyle? Most important, do you have others who remind you of Jesus’ forgiveness when you confess the real struggles of your life?

Today I am encouraging you to be real with others. Even more, I am asking God to bless you with friends who do more than give good advice but instead give the good news of God’s love for real people like you.