Many people believe that apologizing or saying “I’m sorry” is a sign of weakness. David figured out that just the opposite was true – especially when it came to his relationship with God. He found that when he carried the weight of sin upon himself that his energy and strength were sapped. But when he acknowledged his sin it was literally as if a weight had been taken off his shoulders. He was invigorated and refreshed, strengthened and energized.
3 When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night
your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the Lord.”
And you forgave
the guilt of my sin.
Sin is an incredibly heavy burden to bear. We were never meant to have to bear it. This is why Christ died for us – because the weight of sin would suck the life out of us and kill us. This is exactly what it did to our Savior. This is why confession is good for the soul – because it restores our vitality as we embrace what Jesus did for us on the cross. Confession is an expression of faith – it indicates to God that we recognize our sinfulness, Christ’s holiness, and God’s willingness to restore us to life and fellowship.
It may be time for a little introspection guided by the Spirit of God. If you find yourself lacking spiritual vigor and have little motivation to pursue the things of God then most probably there is a sin issue that needs to be dealt with. Resolve to get this resolved or you will pay a high price for it. As my former pastor used to remind us (though it was not original to him)…
Sin will take you further than you want to go.
It will keep you longer than you want to stay,
and it will cost you more than you want to pay.
But it doesn’t have to.