²¹This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. ²²Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

Colossians 1:21-22

⁸If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. ⁹But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. ¹⁰If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

1 John 1:8-10

When I was a child, I disobeyed. One time in particular was in the fourth grade. A new girl moved to town and she was all that! Everyone wanted to be her friend, including me. Finally she invited me to spend the night. Her family was going to an event in town advertised as a “circus.” I asked mom about going, but it was a hard no from her. But I was still invited to my friend’s house. When I arrived at Veronica’s home, she insisted it was okay for me to go. And I went.

The next day I returned home, carrying the awful secret of disobeying my mom’s directives. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t a bad place, it didn’t matter that nothing happened. It only mattered that I had disobeyed. My heart was in turmoil.

It wasn’t until I had a broken, repentant heart that I found peace. I needed to confess to my mom before I would find the peace and intimacy I longed for; to know forgiveness.

It is much the same with our Father in heaven. The intimacy we long for, the peace we desire so strongly, the desire to be heard won’t happen if we resolutely stand in our arrogance. Without a broken, contrite heart change will not happen.

The way I see it, brokenness is a gift. A gift from God. And sometimes, that brokenness comes at his hand. Psalm 51 says, “Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me—now let me rejoice.” David acknowledged that his brokenness was from God and it was a gift that brought him to a place of hope, joy and change.

It isn’t my job to point out when another needs to repent. But if I am submitted to God, he will speak to my heart when I have gone astray. It is my job to follow through, respond with a broken heart and confess (which means agreeing with what God is already saying) and then I will find what I am looking for in life.

Where are you today? Are you experiencing the deep intimacy, peace and joy God intended? Or are you hiding secrets (that God already knows), refusing to humble yourself and be broken? Contrition leads to life through repentance. Follow that path today!