Saturday, May 20, 2006
James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to one another . . .
CONFESS
When your son sees you lose your temper,
Or your daughter finds out you've fudged about the truth,
Or when one of your children is the target of your overly harsh criticism,
Can you admit to them you were wrong? Can you confess your sin to them?
It's hard enough to admit it when we're wrong. It's doubly hard for a parent to admit to his children when he's wrong. Mom and Dad aren't supposed to make mistakes. It's the children, not the adults, who get into trouble.
The fact is Mom and Dad have a sinful nature every bit as evil as that of their children. We parents have plenty to confess. We must cling to Jesus' blood and righteousness as tightly as anyone.
If we don't honestly admit our wrongs before our children, we are setting them a very poor example. If we routinely make excuses for our sins, it's likely that our children will grow up to do the same.
By confessing their sins openly, parents can foster a healthy and loving home atmosphere. Daily they can show their children how to make use of those wonderful KEYS the Savior has given to every Christian and to every Christian family. They can remind their children that we don't have to be afraid to confess our sins to God or to each other because Jesus' sacrficial love has opened the door to heaven for every sinner in the family. By word and example lets teach our children the Bible truth that says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
