Ok, I know that’s a pretty tall order, and thankfully the Holy Spirit helps us to become more and more like Jesus… if we LET Him.  So the other night as I was tucking my 10 year old into bed, we went through ‘the routine’.  (Who knew that when I made up my own words to ‘You Are My Sunshine’ when he was an infant that I would still be requested to sing those same “homemade lyrics” 10 years later?!  Tip: If you’re a new parent, choose your bedtime routine carefully; you very well may be repeating it many times for years to come! Lol)  Anyway, it was during this sweet time that we began talking about why God wants us to repent of our sins even though He already knows what we did.  I shared with him that James 5:16 says that we should also confess our sins to one another;  “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”  

It was after I read this that I asked my son, “Is there anything you want to confess to mom?  God says you will be healed, and this can also mean that you will feel better inside.”  I then waited in silence, praying in my mind that God would encourage him to share with me.  It seemed like I waited a long time and then suddenly his little face began to twist and I saw his bottom lip start to quiver.  I kept praying silently, waiting, & hoping he would confess to me.

“Mom” he said, now sobbing, “I put an app on my iPod about 15 minutes ago that you told me you didn’t want me to download.”

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In my mind I started thinking….really?!  15 minutes ago you did this?  Where was I?  What app?  Why did you do this? and based upon my thoughts I knew I had a choice.  In this moment I could FREAK OUT or I could remain calm and choose grace.

As he continued to cry over his disobedience, my heart broke and all I wanted to do was hug him!   I knew that he was truly sorry for his behavior.  I led him in a prayer to ask God to forgive him since God has commanded us to “obey your father and mother” and he hadn’t obeyed me, and then I told him how much I loved him. I also told him that while honest confession may not always mean that there will not be a consequence, God did promise that healing would come.  And it did for him!

While leaving his room that night, I sensed I got to experience in a small way how God must feel when we confess to Him and are truly repentant.  As a parent I felt closer to my son, and I thanked God that I could remain calm and demonstrate the same grace to my son that God grants to me everyday.

Written by: Jamie Shaver