I love the book of James. I am not sure why, but I always have. My life verse is in the book of James which ironically happens to be the same dates for my birthday. 1-27. I am not sure why I have been drawn to the two sections of our humanity that the verse suggests: widows and orphans or my translation, older people and kids. Perhaps because my Grandma was a huge influence in my life. She lived on the farm when we were growing up. I thought everyone had a grandma like mine. Cookies, a listening ear, scones and a typewriter to get me through high school. As she grew older I sensed the need for that connection so that I learned all I could from her heart before she left. Orphans: well kids are just awesome. They see the world through glasses I forget to put on. So the book of James talks about many things I struggle with but I have found some priceless gems, which 1:27 would be one of them.
I almost get through the book before I find a verse I don’t like. Some of the verses I struggle with such as a teacher having more expectations and standards than others. Then some verses I really can put my mind behind cuz they deal with horses and bits! Been there done that. The trials and temptations, and asking because you believe not to mention looking at people’s hearts and not their outer garments: those I can hold onto somewhat without having a panic attack.
But then- James 5:17 comes and I huddle behind the door. Confession! I didn’t grow up understanding what confession is. Somehow, I understood to be wrong was to be weak and to admit you were wrong was an insult on me as a person. Being wrong was not just being wrong, it meant I was a bad person because I wasn’t right. I’m not sure how I grew up understanding that little twisted thought but it hung with me well into my adult life
So introduce confession. I have been in very few churches who have even talked about the C word: confession. And then, you say that you need to confess to your friend? I have had friends who would have loved me regardless of what I confessed: I do have friends. But there is a switch inside my heart that just is really hard to flip on when it comes to confessing. I am not sure it’s about confessing what we have done as much as it is verbalizing and hearing it come from the heart.
Years ago I sat in an old pick up truck and confessed. It was probably the first time ever and though very hard to do, changed the projection of my life. And interestingly enough, there was a bond that connected me and the one who heard my life flop out on the front seat. Until she died, we held a special connection because she knew me, loved me and helped me walk past the ditch in my life without going back in.
If I am actually to live out the Bible, I need to take verses in my heart that I might hyperventilate on, and step into them rather than avoid them. I have always said we lie best at church. You walk into church, the greeter says hi and then says that statement that no one really wants an answer to. “How are you today?” They don’t want to know, we don’t want to tell them so we answer, “Fine,” or “doing ok”. What if we went to church and church never happened because people were huddled in groups actually being true to what was happening in their life? That was really what the church was about in Acts. They met together and shared life. Part of sharing life is being real, open and confessing.
And then the end of the verse: pray for each other so that we may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. So prayer always follows confession. And confession is always to someone who is a righteous person. I have my list of who I trust with my heart. I have a few that flop their laundry on my side of the table and I pray for. That’s called doing life together! It’s a beautiful part of the way Jesus told us to live as Christians. It’s just rather, well, humbling! And humbling ourselves in the eyes of the Lord is a character the Holy Spirit is constantly working at in my heart.
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