Be Still and Know Daily Bible Devotion - October 9th - James 5:16a

James 5:16a Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. How are you? I wonder how you normally respond to that question. Probably, like most of us, you smile sweetly and summarise your life with one word: “Fine”. It’s a good word and if it’s true, that’s wonderful, and one can only hope that it will continue to be the case. But, if we’re honest, it is sometimes the word we use to push people away. What we’re actually saying is: “It’s none of your business. Leave me alone. Hopefully if you think I’m fine you won’t bother me again.” The reality is that we are not always fine. Sometimes we feel awful, and there are times when we know that we have failed miserably. James is encouraging his readers to be honest and to face up to the stark realities of life. We need to be real with one another and actually confess our sins and pray for each other so that we can find God’s healing. I don’t believe that God is calling us to share absolutely every inner secret and sin with one another. But I do believe that churches need to be places of love and encouragement where we feel able to reveal the people we really are. Question What could you do to help your church to become a more loving and honest community? Prayer Thank You Lord that Your love for me is so complete that I can always feel safe to be totally honest with You. Help me to be more open with my Christian brothers and sisters, and to be more loving and forgiving. Amen