You read that title and got anxious, didn’t you?

When we think of rest, we imagine taking a deep breath and feeling our stress melt away. We dream of a wonderful afternoon nap, uninterrupted by the cares of our busy schedules. That sounds restful. Confessing our sins? Not so much! For many of us, confession evokes thoughts of judgment and shame. It makes us think of the opposite of rest.

But the Bible paints a much different picture of confessing our sins. Take a look at John 1:8-9 and hear how different it sounds:

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, [Jesus] is faithful to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

I take two things away from this verse that can help us re-think confession:

Everyone has sins to confess – John puts it bluntly. Anyone who says they have no sin to confess is deluded. Sometimes we act as though we’re the only one. Everyone else seems to have their lives put together, but ours is a mess. Everyone else seems so much more moral than us but, if people really knew us, they’d know how bad we are and wouldn’t want to be around us anymore. Have you had that inner dialogue before? It’s a lie from Satan. The question isn’t, “Who’s a sinner in need of grace?” That’s everyone. The real question is, “How is sin showing up in your life?” You’re not some outsider on the fringes by yourself. We’re all in this mess together.

Jesus wants to forgive, not condemn – When we confess our sins, Jesus offers forgiveness. It’s faithful for him to do it – which means it’s in keeping with the promises he made. His forgiveness is reliable. It’s also just for him to do it – which means it’s the right thing for him to do. There’s no double jeopardy in God’s courtroom. If your faith is in Jesus, that means Jesus went to the cross for you. It means he already paid your debt. If Jesus won’t condemn someone who confesses their sins and repents, why should we?

Keeping up a charade is exhausting, isn’t it? So why bother? Why put on an act so we think you have it together? The Bible already assures us that you don’t! None of us do. There’s a rest that comes when we stop pretending and admit our need for God’s grace. There’s a deep breath that follows getting something off our chest.

As you think about rest this summer, don’t expect vacation to cover everything. Acknowledging our limits and relaxing is part of the equation, but true rest requires something more. True rest is only possible when we’re honest about ourselves and look to our Savior. Friends, stop pretending and find rest in Jesus.