Lesson 56

What If I Also Have Sins To Confess?

Beth was very concerned about her husband’s involvement with pornography. It was affecting their marriage and family life. His concealed thoughts and actions were easy targets for pointing a finger at the problem and becoming bitter. Then, somehow through their struggles, Beth came to terms with the fact that some of her own thoughts and actions were ungodly. She remembered this verse from Romans 3:23: “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”

Beth knew she had more work to do on herself. “At the heart of bitterness is entitlement,” she realized. “When someone sins against us, we feel that we don’t deserve that kind of treatment and adopt a self-righteousness attitude, whether we realize it or not. Until I saw myself for what I truly was – a sinner in my own right and in desperate need of mercy and grace – then I was able to heal the feelings of self-righteousness and pain in my heart.”

“The importance of repentance cannot be overstated. Getting out of your own mind means asking for help. When a few trusted people know how we really feel, they can pray and encourage us to overcome the bitterness inside. Then finally, at the end of the day, we need to recognize that experiencing bitterness is a choice. Each day we spend in bitterness can amount to a wasted lifetime of regret and anger that will burden ourselves and others. At the end of this life, we are held accountable. I don’t want to face judgment for continuing in a life outlook that is discouraging to others.”