Cleaning Up

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives." I John 1:8-10

It is often said, "Confession is good for the soul." That is so true. I recall an incident with one of our children that brought this home to me. One evening when I was tucking one of my boys in bed he said, "Mom, I need to talk to you."  I asked him if it could wait because it was late. He said it could.

The next morning I'm hurriedly getting ready for church and am ironing a shirt. He comes in my room and asks if it was a good time to talk, I put him off again telling him, "Why don't we talk about it in the car after church?" We were leaving that afternoon to go to Grandma's and there would be plenty of time to talk. He said, "Ok mom, but I didn't mean to cut myself."

Suddenly he had my full attention. Talking right now might be a good idea. He proceeded to tell me how he had taken a pocket knife off the dresser and had accidentally cut himself. Sure enough he had a little cut on his finger. Here my little boy needed to confess something and get it off his conscious, and I wasn't listening.

I'm thankful our heavenly Father isn't like that. He is always ready to listen when we mess up. Until I was a mother, I honestly don't think I realized how sinful I was. Every day can be a struggle--a struggle to be more loving, more forgiving, more patient, more gentle, more understanding, and less selfish. The list could go on and on. Sometimes each hour of the day I need to hear, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." Then I can keep on keeping on knowing I'm washed in His blood. I can stand before Him clean and pure.  I'm thankful for the cleaning up job He does in my life.