Sacred Start: Confession
We can start our meanigful journey of Spiritual Formation with a non threatinng discipline of confession, which is a holistic call to put off dead works. Such Confession then would lead towards restoration from our broken spiritual conditions. It is also essential to note that when we discuss about confession, we must not start thinking about beating ourselves up. Instead, the importance of confession should be seen in the light of restoration. This is what James states, “confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed” (ESV Jam 5:16). Healing here in the Scriptures can be interpreted both as spiritual and physical (Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James, Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2000, 247).
David Brazzeal, in his book Pray Like A Gourmet, explains that confession and restoration are necessary actions on our part (David Brazzeal, Pray Like A Gourmet: Creative Ways to Feed Your Soul, Brewster, MA: Paraclete Press, 2015, 111). Confessing action or acknowledging our sinful condition is a biblical truth and practice which should be embraced.
“I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and you forgave the iniquity of my sin”(ESV Ps 32:5).
Brazzeal also explains that when we confess the reality of our ongoing spiritual damage, regardless of how unholy we may feel, it shapes who we are. Then God miraculously touches us deep within our soul and restores our relationship anew: Revelation 21:5 “God makes all things new”(David Brazzeal, Pray Like A Gourmet: Creative Ways to Feed Your Soul, Brewster, MA: Paraclete Press, 2015, 110). This insight here on confession is beautifully captured, exposing that confession is not a ritual of shame. Instead, it’s a sacred act before God with honesty, leading to supernatural restoration. Both physical and spiritual.
David Brazzeal also highlights that confession is not threatening, because confession should also be seen as less of a threat and more as a friend that helps us to get real with ourselves and allows us to be who we really are (David Brazzeal, Pray Like A Gourmet: Creative Ways to Feed Your Soul, Brewster, MA: Paraclete Press, 2015, 110). Again, this perspective should be embraced as a liberating encounter of the truth about confession. Our world today thrives on performance and pretense. But confession leads to a philosophical act of existential honesty. A return to our authentic self.So, when we practice confession, we should make efforts to build in the sensitivity to welcome, experience, and embrace the restoration that naturally flows from confession.
According to Brazzeal, one idea that can be helpful is to write down our confessions as a prayer—not based on what sins we have committed, but rather a prayer of confession based on who we really are at this moment of life (David Brazzeal, Pray Like A Gourmet: Creative Ways to Feed Your Soul, Brewster, MA: Paraclete Press, 2015, 111).This will build an honest stand before the Lord. Realising the deeper realtiy of our lvies toghter and creating space in our lvies for God to bring healing and transformation.
Then through the power of the Holy Spirit, we must work on our persoalnity to reflect the likenss of Christ. According to Dallas Willard we need to aim at "a chracter and life that is so shapped that the deeds of Christ routniely and ealsily come from what is inside" (Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives, San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1999. 20).
Therefore, in the process of Spiritual Formation, we should not give up because of any ongoing sin. Instead, we should commit ourselves again to walk holistically in the ways of the Lord, knowing that when we confess our sins, God is faithful in forgiving: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (1Jn 1:9). Trusting that the Holy Spirit will empower me when I will honestly chose to walk in the Kingdom of the Lord.
