Join Me On the Journey

It never ceases to amaze me how practical the Bible is. I find that sometimes, I can skip right over a phrase or a sentence while I’m “getting to the good stuff.” But, tucked away in James chapter 5, in a paragraph about prayer, there is this little phrase:

Confess your faults one to another, James 5:16a (KJV)

Now, this is such practical advice, and yet, in our culture, it can be so hard to follow. We live in a culture where image is everything. Even in the church, we aren’t often transparent with each other. We don’t want other Christians to know that we haven’t had our quiet time for weeks on end, that we are struggling in our marriage, and our kids are out of control.

We go to church, “How are you this morning?” “Oh, I’m doing great, how are you?” “Oh, fine, just fine.” I am so guilty of this, and I’ll bet you are, too.

Now I’m not saying that you need to spill your guts to the greeter every Sunday morning. But, what I am saying is that you need to find other women whom you can trust to confess your faults.

Confession accomplishes many purposes. Defining a problem goes a long way toward fixing it. Sometimes, just saying something out loud helps you to see it more clearly and then you can deal with it. Often, when you say it aloud, it’s not nearly as bad as it seems when it’s hidden inside your heart. You’ll often find that other women have thought the same thought or done the same thing or had the same or similar experience.

For many years, I didn’t have another woman to confide in. As a physician, I had little time outside the office to form relationships with other women. I know that those of you who work outside the home must struggle with that as well. The moment you walk out of work, you have family responsibilities. We’re just so busy that there is no time to find someone you can trust to “confess” to.

When I came home, I was the only woman (of childbearing age, LOL) who was home all day, so I faced the opposite problem; there wasn’t really anyone I could relate to.

After (literally) years of prayer, I finally have a few friends I can trust who live close enough for me to see regularly. It has been so wonderful to have those women in my life.

The Bible says:

For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. Rom 14:7 (KJV)

No woman is an island.

Do you have women in your life with whom you can share? Tell us about her. Click the “comments” button below.

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