Change happens through confession. When Jacob was speaking to God, he said ‘I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant’. It was a humble confession, admitting to God that he wasn’t perfect and that he’d made mistakes. Confession is an important part of God’s process for changing us, because change can’t happen until we honestly face and admit where we’ve gone wrong and where we’re weak. The Bible tells us that ‘You can’t whitewash your sins and get by with it; you find mercy by admitting and leaving them’ (Proverbs 28:13 MSG). When we, like Jacob, admit to things before God, He can get to work. Ever noticed how easy it is to make excuses? We become experts at blaming others and end up saying things like, ‘It’s not my fault, it’s just how I was brought up – my parents are to blame.’ Or ‘The situation I’m in at work is because of my boss.’ It’s hard to admit our personal faults and failings, and it can be scary to ask for help. When we tell God we’ve sinned, it’s no surprise to Him; He knew our problems all along. But telling God what we’ve done, or not done, is a way for us to bring ourselves before Him and admit that we’re not perfect. It’s humbling to admit our mistakes, but once we do, God gives us access to His power to help change us for the better. And at that point we start to become the person we’ve always wanted to be. The truth is: God loves us just the way we are – but He loves us too much to leave us that way.
What now?
Next time you make a mistake, don’t make any excuses, just admit you went wrong.