Open up for mercy

“I am yet to find my phone. I just hope it’s not on silent mode”, Chris murmured to himself.

“Have you tried using my phone to call your number?”, Bridget asked her husband, Chris.

“Great idea! I did not even remember to do that”, Chris replied.

Chris retrieved Bridget’s phone from a side table in the living room and took it to the kitchen where Bridget had been busy preparing dinner. She keyed in her password and gave the phone back to Chris. He dialled his number and started roaming the house, listening for his phone.    

As Chris walked into the bedroom, an email notification popped up on Bridget’s phone. He quickly glanced at the subject, “Mum, you missed my birthday”. “Mum”?, he wondered, especially as they had no children yet. He opened the email.

A few minutes later, he stormed out of the bedroom to the kitchen.

“Who is Flora? Who is Maya? Start talking!”, Chris asked, shouting angrily at Bridget.

“What are you talking about?”, a confused Bridget asked.

“Are you still pretending? Ok, listen up”, Chris said and started to read snippets of the email. “Hello Mum, you missed my birthday… Aunty Maya is not feeling well, please call. I love you Mum. Does this sound familiar?”

Bridget was shattered. “Chris, I am sorry. I did not want to bother you about my daughter Flora and my terrible past life.  I was scared I was going to lose you if you knew about the shameful things I have done”, she explained.

Chris shook his head and walked out of the house.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9).

God will not put us off because of our sinful lives, no matter how terrible they are. He wants us to come to Him – dirt and all – to be forgiven, cleansed and free. But when we deceive ourselves and cover up our sins, we miss out on the forgiveness and cleansing that is freely available in Jesus.

The longer we pretend all is well, the longer we are plagued with the torture, emptiness, guilt, shame, hurt and heaviness that unconfessed sins bring.  Opening up to God and turning away from the sinful life will attract peace, forgiveness, true prosperity, and mercy.

He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy (Proverbs 28:13).

I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You forgave the iniquity of my sin (Psalms 32:5).