1 John 1:9
Confessing our Sins
9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
James 5:16
Confessing our Sins to One Another
16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Mark 2:17
Jesus Comes to Rescue the Flawed Man
17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Luke 23:34
Jesus on Forgiveness
34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
Man is flawed...We sin...We have our flaws, we have our faults, and we make errors...We are human...These flaws, faults, and errors we make -also happen to make us, who we are...We are not perfect, and Jesus knows this...St. John tells us to confess our sins, so this Great Saint thinks we sin...
We are flawed, and we will continue to make mistakes, and do sin...Are our sins, flaws, and faults linked?...I think they are...When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, we took on these type of characteristics...I have read and heard discussions on "should we accept our sins, our faults, our flaws."?...Many of these discussions are about having good mental health...If we do not accept ourselves, and are not kind to ourselves, how can we be kind to others?...Also, for our good mental health, we should confess our sins...St. John teaches us about confession...St. James, brother of Jesus, takes confession a bit further...He teaches us to confess our sins to each other...Then St. James adds, and pray for each other so that you may be healed...So confession of sins, and praying is good for our health...It can be a part of the healing process...Confession and prayer are good for our mental health...
When we learn that Jesus is perfect, and we are not -we can better accept ourselves...Jesus, certainly does not want us to sin or be tempted, but we are human and mistakes will be made...So, when we admit and confess that we are flawed and do sin, we realize that we are not perfect like Him...Only God is good and perfect...We can try, and try very hard to be perfect...Our Great Saints tried to be more and more like Jesus...But in some of us, the trying to be perfect, and being a perfectionist, can set us to a host of mental problems...When we try over and over to be perfect, we fail...We then can see ourselves, as failures, and some guilt can set up in our minds...Whenever you fail, and fall short of your goals, the perfectionist beats himself up, over and over for this and his failures...The perfectionist-personality can wind up with a lot of negative self-talk and the burden of trying to do everything right in his or her life is very stressful...This negative self talk can take a toll on the mind, and one can become focused on one's failings, and one's negativity...In fact, negative self-talk can stimulate a part of the brain, which releases a myriad of stress provoking chemicals and adrenaline, which is very unhealthy -according to Andrew Newburg, M.D., co-author of How God Changes Your Brain...
Jesus does not want us focused on our negative thoughts, or our failings...He knows who and what we are -and teaches forgiveness...He does not want us unhealthy...He wants us focused on God...Jesus came for me, for us, the flawed, the troubled, the sinner...He forgives the sinner...