Holes in the Wall

A few years ago, we had a significant water leak in our house that had to be repaired. The last step was covering all the holes in the wall from redoing the plumbing in the house. As I sat and watched the men tape and mud the holes, it reminded me of us as Christians. Many times in our lives, we tend to do things at all costs to cover up our flaws. Just as Lynsey and I are doing everything possible to cover up the blemishes that were once on our walls, we as Christians seem to put more effort than we should into covering up our flaws.

Recognizing our flaws and allowing people to see them instead of trying to cover them up is a significant part of being a Christian. The gospel teaches us that confession to ourselves, God, and others are a vital part of being a follower of Jesus. Martin Luther said, "The Christian way essentially consists of acknowledging ourselves to be sinners and praying for grace."

In Galatians 6:2, Paul urges us to bear each other's burdens. Sin is a burden, and it brings shame and guilt to our lives, and God set up the Church so that we would not have to deal with the guilt that sin brings all alone. Are you allowing others to complete their Christian responsibility by confessing to others the burden of sin in your life?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes in his book "Life Together" that "he who is alone with his sin is utterly alone." The most significant thing about this statement is that it does not have to be true. You do not have to be alone with your sin. Around this time of year the world is thinking very much of the resurrection, and because Jesus came out of the tomb, you do not have to deal with your sin alone. You can be free from shame and guilt. Don't hide those things anymore, but go to God, who is patient and forgiving (2 Peter 3:9). Don't hang on to those things that may be hiding in your life, but instead hang on to God's love, mercy, grace, forgiveness.

Will