REGARDLESS OF FORM, CONFESSION IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL AND THE RIGHT THING TO DO

Confession is the acknowledgment of sin or of one's wrong-doing and most commonly is practiced in a number of faith traditions. Pleading guilty to a crime in a court of law is also a form of confession.


They say that "confession is good for the soul" and most of us who have confessed in one form or another over the years can attest to the accuracy of that saying.  Confession coupled with forgiveness enables us to start afresh in life, free of the burden of guilt.  It is fair to say that confession is a very personal concession that can be enacted in a religious/church setting or one-on-one, as in person-to-person.


As mere humans, we have a history of doing wrong and we generally are the first to know when we have erred in word, deed or action.  It is not always easy to admit that we were wrong or misguided and it is doubly difficult to confess to a wronged party(s) and to ask forgiveness.


We often hear the term self-confession being used and there are those who will allude to a certain redundancy.  To me "self-confessed" is an adjective, not a noun, and simply describes an open confession that one makes on one's own without being prodded or interrogated.  It is completely self-motivated and to my way of thinking is most honorable and commendable.


Here is a little exercise that we all can engage in from time to time in the privacy of our own space.  You can either speak the words aloud or you can say them to yourself...Trust me, someone will be listening.  You might be surprised.  The main thing is that you will be acknowledging weaknesses and wrong-doings of everyday living and in the process putting the unpleasantness of associated stress and guilt behind you.  You can substitute the word "we" for "I", it is entirely up to you.  And remember, you do not have to be a particularly religious person.  All you need is a soul, and a heart -- and the ability to know right from wrong as you perceive it.  A degree of honesty doesn't hurt either.


For what it is worth, here is a free-for-nothing confessional template that you can tuck into your pocket.


"Too often we know full well what we should be doing, but we turn away and do the complete opposite.  We make mistakes. We are rebellious.  We are selfish and arrogant.  At times, we feel small and insignificant, so we pity ourselves; or we feel big and arrogant and we puff ourselves up in false pride.


"We close our ears and eyes to the needs of those around us.  We want to hold too tightly to the things of this world, forgetting that we have been given them so that we might help others.


"We engage in conflict and give in to the impulse to get even or to gain the upper hand.  When hurt, we hurt back.  We put conditions on love and forgiveness when we have the capacity for compassion and understanding.


"Down deep, we seek the grace of true repentance so that we may not only confess our wrong-doings in this manner, but also to lament and forsake them with our whole hearts and in the end bear the fruit of righteousness for the balance of our journey."


Is something else laying heavily on your heart?  If so, you can throw that in too, just for good measure.  Take ownership of the words as you release them to the universe!  As I say, it can't hurt.  Think about it, if you will.