😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you. Happy Easter! Something that I’ve been thinking quite a bit about lately is the Sacrament of Confession. I’ve never been comfortable with this sacrament, but maybe that’s the point. Yes, I get uncomfortable thinking about my sins, but that doesn’t even come close to how uncomfortable Jesus felt when He was being whipped, beaten, and nailed to the cross for me. Confession is not a punishment, it’s a gift, an opportunity to examine my actions, lack of action, and thoughts, to see where I can do better in my life, to fully become all He made me for and to fully choose to return to God, our Father. It’s a gift to intentionally verbalize my sin and ask for His pardon and absolution.
As I was reading through an examination of conscience two things occurred to me. 1) I’m as guilty as the next person in the fact that we as a society have rationalized sin and watered it down to the point that our eyes and conscience become blind to all that sin is. Those “little” sins just get tucked away and forgotten. They don’t really matter, right? Wrong! They do matter, which brings me to my next point. 2) When I sat down to think about all my sins, there were a lot more than I want to admit.
Yes, the Sacrament of Confession is humbling. It is freeing. It is God’s love once again reaching out to us to say, “Come and be with Me. I want to be with you and hold you close.”
Sin just sucks. I wish I had the will power and strength to choose good over sin every time. When those moments strike, maybe it’s time I quit wishing and started praying.
I’m not sure if you’ve experience this or not, but the Sacrament of Confession makes me think of an oil change in my car. The contaminates in the oil slowly build up, changing it from a golden honey color to black. It goes unnoticed because you rarely raise the hood to check its condition. Left unchecked, it can cause permanent damage. But, as soon as you purge that nasty oil from the car and fill it anew with fresh oil, yes you can see the difference, but you can also feel the difference in how the car runs.
Lift the hood, check the oil, and purge the nasty. Refill and refresh with God’s love. Your days will run smoother. Guaranteed!
Bless others and be blessed.
Shelly :0)
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#MatthewWest – Mended
Third Day Devotions 