James calls us to confess our sins to one another and pray for one another. This is one area I definitely fall short, probably because of pride. Currently I don't have anyone in my life who I feel like I can trust to walk arm in arm with me as we fulfill this command together.
How about you? Do you have someone with whom you do this regularly? If you are married, is that person your wife or someone else?
Do you have any suggestions on how to find the right person to confess one's sins to and ask them to pray for you?
The Catholic Church does this anonymously in the confession booth. I don't think that is what James intended.
By the way, thought I want to hear from everyone, I am especially interested in hearing from ministers. Do they have someone within the congregation with whom they can bare their soul, or do they have to look elsewhere to fulfill this command.
So far as the votes come in, it doesn't look like we are doing very good in this area. Why do you think that is?
I wish I could say I had that kind of relationship with my husband, but he gets very agitated whenever I mention anything spiritual. He's very anti-faith right now. I don't trust anyone at my congregation. There are those I love dearly, but I am too afraid of feeding the small-town rumor mill to open up that way to anyone here. I talk to my mom about some things, but not all things.
No. I don't think it's a matter of pride so much as it is a matter of trust.
My husband is a minister. I'll ask him. I don't know that he has anyone now, but when we lived in TX he was part of a small group of preachers who spent time together once a week, shared a meal, prayed together, and shared confidences. This was a group of mixed denoms, and incl. a woman minister. When we were in real need, it was this group that came to our aid first.
(I wanted to vote twice. Once for "no", and then the disclaimer vote "because".)
: phoebe Wed Jan 31, 2007 - 23:11:11
No. I don't think it's a matter of pride so much as it is a matter of trust.
My husband is a minister. I'll ask him. I don't know that he has anyone now, but when we lived in TX he was part of a small group of preachers who spent time together once a week, shared a meal, prayed together, and shared confidences. This was a group of mixed denoms, and incl. a woman minister. When we were in real need, it was this group that came to our aid first.
That's interesting that this group ministered to him and to his family more than the church.
I also found Mandalee's comment interesting about the small town rumor mill. That mill can definitely run extremely fast, and I too am in a small town.
I know that the Holy Spirit was serious when he called us to confess our sins to one another, but to be honest I am a prideful person, a private person, and a person who does not trust others easily - if at all. I must get over those hurdles because I believe God has blessings galore for me on the other side of those hurdles as I follow this command.
Up until my job took me away from home alot, I had a very close knit, very functional Emmaus Reunion group. For non-Emmaus folks, a reunion group is a small accountability group (usually 4 to 8 people) that usually meets once a week. The function of the group is to pray, share our victories and our challenges, fellowship, and plan and work on service projects. Part of our agenda each week is to share our "Closest to Christ" moment during the week, any occasion of "Discipleship Denied", or any general spiritual failings we encounter as individuals. Our sharing and group confidentiality is vigorously protected.
I have shared several things with that group that I haven't even with my brothers at my church, and they have as well. I have sat at the back table of a coffee shop at 7:00 am on Thursdays and heard my reunion group brothers confess such intimate things as marital infidelity, pornography addiction, etc. I have confessed some of my sins in the group, but frankly mine seem frivolous compared to some of the others. Of course, I always hold back. I am still not as open as I would like to be.
Good Thread Spurly,
Jaime
yes I do,
I have a mentor right now in my life and She is wonderful, I have been leaning so much from her how to be a Godly woman and how to be a Godly wife and mother. I meet with her once a week for a one on one biblestudy, and I do this,( confess sin)- so does she, and often she will tell me things I have in my life , that I don't see that are hindering me in my walk with God, and she has such Godly wisdom, that I am so thankful God has brought her into my life. He knows our needs before we even ask him.
I absolutely love having someone to hold me accountable. My husband and I also confess sin to eachother as well, but sometimes neither one of us sees something that an outside person might so I am Glad to have this special relationship.
But no one could replace my husband, so we are both thankful to have the Couple that mentor's me in our lives.
( Her(my mentor) husband leads our Tuesday night young marrieds small group as well)
If you cannot get to the point of trusted people to unload specific sins upon, at least see what you can do about finding people who generally support each other as people who do sin sometimes.
Re: the "rumor mill" -- sometimes keeping your particular struggles to yourself is a matter of protecting those weaker ones who might bump into your confession and stumble.
: janine Wed Jan 31, 2007 - 23:27:40
If you cannot get to the point of trusted people to unload specific sins upon, at least see what you can do about finding people who generally support each other as people who do sin sometimes.
Re: the "rumor mill" -- sometimes keeping your particular struggles to yourself is a matter of protecting those weaker ones who might bump into your confession and stumble.
Janine, what you said about the rumor mill is true, but it seems to me that is just another excuse for not doing what the Holy Spirit commanded us to do through the pen of James.
I have never thought of James' words as being a command to blurt out my specific sins to someone, but as a way of providing a support system for each other, and I believe we can be generic to do that, to acknowledge that I sin regularly and often. (There are those who do not believe they sin regularly. I think they are fooling themselves.) For those so blessed who find such a safety net to do so, they seem to walk a less burdened walk. A burdened shared is... I've forgotten the saying.
Hmmm.
Suppose your confession of specific sins brings the rumor mill and the shame and the speculation and the tutt-tutting down on other people's heads, as much as on your own?
Do you have the right to open up other people's wounds because you think they ought to be drained?
: janine Wed Jan 31, 2007 - 23:41:34
Hmmm.
Suppose your confession of specific sins brings the rumor mill and the shame and the speculation and the tutt-tutting down on other people's heads, as much as on your own?
Do you have the right to open up other people's wounds because you think they ought to be drained?
Ahh, but that is why it is important to find someone you can trust who won't get the rumor mill started. Someone who will pray for you and ask you how your doing. Someone who will hold you accountable and hold you up in prayer. I still believe that those people can be found - I just need to know where to start.
But to answer your questions, following this command of James, if done in the manner intended, would never open the wounds of the third party. Ideally the third party would also have someone they could "confess their sins" to as well.
Pride, the desire to live private lives and the neglect of this command, in my opinion, has led to the downfall of many Christians & Christian leaders. Because they would not open up about their struggles the struggles continued until they became another Ted Haggard or just gave up completely. Following the command of James to "confess our sins to one another" would go a long way to stopping that.
I believe some things are to be kept between me (or you) and God. He is the only One in Whom I can place 100% confidence that He will not abuse that confidence, and that He will not turn on me and use it against me.
My experience has not built confidence in human beings in this area.
I do understand you, Spurly. And I ain't saying that the implementation of God's Word in our lives will always be painless.
But I see Phoebe's point real well too.
I know a lady on my other main board who said something once that was so profound, another of the ladies uses it as a quote in her sig. It goes something like this:
"My faith in God only rarely ever wavers, and then only a little. My faith in people, however, was beaten to death a long time ago."
I guess that about sums it up for me.
One area I strongly disagree with many marriage counselors is that of total revelation -a form of confession- of your past to your mate. What a black hole that can be!
Copying-and-pasting that quote, Janine! It's a keeper.
: phoebe Wed Jan 31, 2007 - 23:49:33
I believe some things are to be kept between me (or you) and God. He is the only One in Whom I can place 100% confidence that He will not abuse that confidence, and that He will not turn on me and use it against me.
My experience has not built confidence in human beings in this area.
Phoebe, what you stated is exactly where I am right now. However, I don't think that is God's best for us.
I feel like I am avoiding keeping this command of the Holy Spirit through James just to protect my own ego and pride. In my opinion, that goes counter to everything Christ wants of me. I am not losing my life completely for him - but instead I am hanging on to little parts of it and refusing to submit to God's plan for how to handle and overcome sinful attitudes, desirs and behaviors because I am afraid of how I will look.
Then I remember how Christ looked when all my sin was placed on him. If he is willing to be completely humiliated as he was hanging naked on the cross for me, I ought to be able to find someone with whom I can carry out this command.
Pray that my pride will decrease and my trust will grow. Pray that I will decrease to the point that I want more and more of him and I can find someone else who has the same desire. Then, when we fulfill this command of James we will be doing it for the right reason - to help each other become more and more like Christ.
I know this is God's best for me, I just need to take the steps needed to make sure I do it.
: phoebe Wed Jan 31, 2007 - 23:55:07
One area I strongly disagree with many marriage counselors is that of total revelation -a form of confession- of your past to your mate. What a black hole that can be!
Copying-and-pasting that quote, Janine! It's a keeper.
I think "My faith in God only rarely ever wavers, and then only a little. My faith in people, however, was beaten to death a long time ago" is accurate -- will send you the exact quote and the lady's name for crediting it via P.M. tomorrow.
Spurly, I do see your point. Perhaps when I am ready to give up my friends and loved ones and church family I will confess all to someone besides God.
Janine, from what I see reading your post and Phoebe's post and knowing why I haven't done this in the past, it is definitely a sad indictment on the people of God. We have not been who we were supposed to be to each other.
Instead of providing an environment where growth can take place as we admit our failures and rejoice in our victories, we have become a body where we lack the trust and faith in our fellow Christians to admit our sins and weaknesses.
Now that I think about it, I remember one couple who came to our church in North Carolina who didn't stay very long. They were ex drug users and were very open about their sins and failure and their love for Jesus whose atoning sacrifice covered their sins.
Then they looked around our church and their comment was - I don't see many ex-sinners here. As they looked around what they saw was a group of people who were perfect (or at least acting like they were). Thus they didn't stay long because they didn't feel like they fit in to our perfect church.
Thus, another advantage of fulfilling this command would be that the world would see that we were real. We struggle just like they do and we need Jesus and each other every day just to make it through each day.
Oh well, I guess I better go to bed and sleep on it awhile.
spurly - If you have a ministerial alliance, try starting there. This is where my husband found a few who wanted to go the extra mile. It started with just meeting for prayer every other week for the community and its churches. Grew to prayer once a week, and in this time of praying, needs - personal needs - were shared and prayed over. Then they began having lunch together afterwards. And on and on it grew. They were a Family of five. Then they brought in their spouses. Who can better understand the struggles of preachers and families but other preachers and families?
It takes time, lots of time, to build this kind of relationship. And even then you can still be badly burned. People, even Christ-followers, are not perfect, and do not belong on pedestals. They always, always, always fall off.
Anyone else find it more than alittle sad that we cannot [usually with good reason] trust one another enough to share our burdens with them?
I think maybe it would also be good to consider carefully what James was saying. I think he was making the point that I alluded to above share your burdens -- that way they are easier to carry. I think we miss then point if we see this as simply a thing to do.
Yes, Dennis, I find it heartbreakingly sad that we are so lacking Jesus-in-us that we are not a safe place for burdened people.
A few weeks back, several of us ministers in our area got together just to get to know one another a bit. We really hit it off, and before long things got very personal and serious. One of the ministers confessed to a struggle with the temptation to skim a little cash out of the offering some weeks. We were surprised to hear of another's losing battle with alcohol. I was very concerned with one of the ministers who admitted to having several affairs with church members over the years. Before praying for one another, they asked me if there was anything in particular I struggle with; I had to admit that I couldn't wait to get back to my flock, as my particular sin is gossip, and I was feeling I was about going to burst!
rofl
: Chris Thu Feb 01, 2007 - 09:52:52
A few weeks back, several of us ministers in our area got together just to get to know one another a bit. We really hit it off, and before long things got very personal and serious. One of the ministers confessed to a struggle with the temptation to skim a little cash out of the offering some weeks. We were surprised to hear of another's losing battle with alcohol. I was very concerned with one of the ministers who admitted to having several affairs with church members over the years. Before praying for one another, they asked me if there was anything in particular I struggle with; I had to admit that I couldn't wait to get back to my flock, as my particular sin is gossip, and I was feeling I was about going to burst!
LOL heard that a long time ago. Here's another:
A priest a preacher and a rabbi walked into a bar. The bartender saw them enter and said "Is this a joke?"
: Chris Thu Feb 01, 2007 - 09:52:52
A few weeks back, several of us ministers in our area got together just to get to know one another a bit. We really hit it off, and before long things got very personal and serious. One of the ministers confessed to a struggle with the temptation to skim a little cash out of the offering some weeks. We were surprised to hear of another's losing battle with alcohol. I was very concerned with one of the ministers who admitted to having several affairs with church members over the years. Before praying for one another, they asked me if there was anything in particular I struggle with; I had to admit that I couldn't wait to get back to my flock, as my particular sin is gossip, and I was feeling I was about going to burst!
I guess you need to add "plagiarism" to the list, also. Go to the
FULL TIME MINISTERS Forum and read the
Caught in the Act thread. ::preachit::
It was a classic joke and you told it well.
C.
John Piper has a sermon on his site in which he addressed this subject (as well as others) entitled:Risk and the Cause of God today (http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/1987/593_Risk_and_the_Cause_of_God_Today/).
Here are a couple of excerpts:
But this is risky business. It's much safer—in the short run—to keep quiet about your struggle with lust or homosexual feelings or alcohol or food or anger. And I don't mean to say that every skirmish of the soul should go public. But on the other hand, James does mean something when he says, "Confess your sins to each other." There is a kind of privacy with sin that paralyzes. There is a kind of concealing that can kill faith.
Others of you are hurting yourselves and the cause of God by bottling up something that someone should know about—some grudge, some failure, some habit, some remorse. May the Lord give us the wisdom to know the difference between an unhealthy indulgence in self-exposure on the one hand and the Biblical risk of authenticity and confession on the other.
Here is an article where he is talking about his dream for the prayer life of the church he serves, and in that article he touches on this subject My Dream For the Prayer Life of Bethlehem (http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TasteAndSee/ByDate/2003/1249_My_Dream_for_the_Prayer_Life_of_Bethlehem/):
Since it says in James 5:16, "Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed,
Is "confession" equal to "accountability"?
I see them this way: accountability is placed as a preventative; confession is after-the-fact.
Piper seems to recognize that there is a time not to confess, "unhealthy indulgence in self-exposure", (not sure "indulgence" is a good word here), and a time when 'confession is good for the soul', so to speak, "Biblical risk of authenticity and confession..."
Cults are big on this passage, demanding confession of every little detail of sin on a daily basis, sometimes several times a day. A little caution here is advisable, I think.
"My Dream For the Prayer Life of Bethlehem:" "Dream" is accurate.
I will take my cynicism now and go elsewhere. I wish my personal experience could give validation to this passage, but it has only done the opposite. I no longer "bare my soul" to anyone but God. I kept hearing loudly in my head, "Trust no one" over and over. Then a quiet, gentle voice came through the loudness, "Trust Me." And I do.
JAIA, I am truly glad for your sake that you have found someone you trust in this important area of your life. I pray the rest of us can as well.
Confess your sins one to another is a good topic. I've always thought that was much more than just going up front during the invitation and say I've sinned and I need God's forgiveness and your prayers. This is one thing I think recovery groups have done that seem to be much more biblical and much more effective. One of the suggestions though when making an amends is if in doing so will injure them or others then its not okay and I think Janine touched on this. We have to be careful not to hurt someone else just to save our own skin or ease our own conscience.
And then there is the trust issue. This is where trusting God first and foremost comes in to play. When I do that, then I know even if you "tell my confession" or prove to be untrustworthy that God will take care of me and I will be okay. I personally try to pick someone that has taken the same suggestions that were given me because then I know at least they know but at the same time, I'm fully aware that they are human and make mistakes as do I. The funny thing about confession is once I seem to take that step and work through it, it's not as big a deal that it be kept a secret anyway.
I find it easy to talk about me and my shortcomings to people. When I have done so and find someone who comes back at me with things different than just agreeing with me (even when they don't), I start to evaluate them more and give them a little more of me. If I find they seem to genuinely have me and my concerns in their hearts, I find I have found someone I can trust.
I don't start out trusting everyone completely. But I do have a tendency to trust most with some of me. When someone shows me they can't handle me well, they don't get any more of me.
I have one friend that I can tell everything to. She tells me stuff about her. Everything? I don't know. I just know what I tell her, she helps me with, and I trust her with all of me. She says I am good for her, as well. We both feel God introduced us to each other. I can cry to her about everything and do!!
I have found it is so very wise to have someone who knows me from the inside. When I'm always just by myself, I can focus on something and can't find objectivity or reasoning for or against what I'm dealing with. But as soon as I get to share it with someone I trust, and they give me an OK or show me what I'm missing, I feel so refreshed!! Like a ton of burdens have been lifted from me. Such an awesome feeling!! When I don't have someone to share my feelings, thoughts, actions, fears, gripes, and everything else with, I can get off focus without even realizing it.
: msbradley Thu Feb 01, 2007 - 19:05:04
I find it easy to talk about me and my shortcomings to people. When I have done so and find someone who comes back at me with things different than just agreeing with me (even when they don't), I start to evaluate them more and give them a little more of me. If I find they seem to genuinely have me and my concerns in their hearts, I find I have found someone I can trust.
I don't start out trusting everyone completely. But I do have a tendency to trust most with some of me. When someone shows me they can't handle me well, they don't get any more of me.
I have one friend that I can tell everything to. She tells me stuff about her. Everything? I don't know. I just know what I tell her, she helps me with, and I trust her with all of me. She says I am good for her, as well. We both feel God introduced us to each other. I can cry to her about everything and do!!
I have found it is so very wise to have someone who knows me from the inside. When I'm always just by myself, I can focus on something and can't find objectivity or reasoning for or against what I'm dealing with. But as soon as I get to share it with someone I trust, and they give me an OK or show me what I'm missing, I feel so refreshed!! Like a ton of burdens have been lifted from me. Such an awesome feeling!! When I don't have someone to share my feelings, thoughts, actions, fears, gripes, and everything else with, I can get off focus without even realizing it.
I agree with this expecially the ton of bricks being lifted from me. It's like "the secret" or "the sin" loses its power when I speak it out loud to God, myself and another human being. It is a great feeling to be around folks that do know us inside and out and loves us and accepts us anyway.
I think another thing we need to understand is that relationships of trust where confession of sins can take place without fear of judgment sometimes take years to build. That's one reason for us not to jump from church to church, but instead to fulfill the "one another" commands with one group of people so that we can grow and help them grow as well.
: spurly Fri Feb 02, 2007 - 08:19:33
I think another thing we need to understand is that relationships of trust where confession of sins can take place without fear of judgment sometimes take years to build. That's one reason for us not to jump from church to church, but instead to fulfill the "one another" commands with one group of people so that we can grow and help them grow as well.
Yes.
Thursday, I made a list of the people who had posted here saying they don't confess or don't have someone to confess their sins to. I really felt a burden for all those I read about who said they don't have anyone, or think they don't need someone in this area. I prayed until way after midnight for those on my list, then I threw my list away because I realized there must be millions in this world who don't have someone who knows them on the inside.
Having someone (in my case, several) know me on the inside is what makes me be able to be me. It doesn't perfect me. But when I share my fears or regrets, desires, wants, shortcomings, and everything else with someone, someone who I know I can trust and who has come to care about me, well, it's just a "WOW" experience for my life. First, because I do have someone in my life to go over me with, then that I not only have the opportunity to do so because of that person, but that I have the capability to do so.
Yesterday, I talked to another one of my friends for hours about me and my sins (and theirs). We talked about pride, trust, faith, and love. The definitions of, where each comes from, how they affect our lives, just all kinds of stuff poured out of our hearts and minds concerning these things.
Gosh, I've tried and can't figure out how to get this out...I don't see why it should or even can afford to take years to find a trust level with someone. There's things inside me and surely not just me, that would have eaten me up alive if I had kept them inside me for a long period.
What is meant by fear of judgement? The person (and I mean earthly person/friend) who you give yourself to isn't the one who will JUDGE you for all eternity. Every single one of us judges close to every single person we come in contact with. When I confess me to someone, I don't do it in hopes they will agree with me, or even pat me on the back and tell me I'm OK. I do it to get it out of me, and have them help me "judge" the reason, consequences, whatever needs to be dissected. They aren't my friend and confidant if they just hear and not help.
I really have problems when someone I know assumes something about me. I am an open kind of person. If you know me, you know I will tell you how I tick and even why. If you are my friend, you are welcome to ask me anything and I will tell you anything.
I'm rambling. I didn't go to church today because of some burdens I have picked up over the last couple of days.
I am continuing to pray for those in need of trust to be able to share. Love you guys.
Cheryl
msbradley - If you have never had someone who broke the trust you placed in them, who violated a confidence, or who used that information against you or to harm you or someone you love, then you are blessed. Not all who call themselves "friend" or "brother" are.
I am not lacking because I have no human in whom I can place that kind of trust. I have God. And He satisfies all that I need.
But I thank you for caring about us.
BTW, there is a vast difference in sharing our burdens and confessing our sins. I think they somehow get muddled together. A sin can be a real heavy burden, but not all burdens are sins. They're just - burdens.
I'm of the mindset that secrets kill. And because of that, I think it is best to share sins and burdens and instead of being so afraid that someone is going to "break my confidence" ask God to take away my pride and trust Him in all things.
Who hasn't been let down or violated?
It doesn't mean I don't continue on. It doesn't mean I end trusting. I learn, I go on.
No person on earth will crush my spirit. I do get hurt. I am hurting right now, but I am going to my Protector for guidance.
I know the difference between sin and burden. Sin should become a burden. Then we should find a way to release that burden. I confess my sins in prayer, anguishing prayer, At least the ones I notice as sins. He helps me see things I so easily do that are sins to Him, as well. That's when they become a burden. I am shown, I see, I struggle, I share, and eventually, I give it to my Lord.
: msbradley Sun Feb 04, 2007 - 12:43:16
Who hasn't been let down or violated?
It doesn't mean I don't continue on. It doesn't mean I end trusting. I learn, I go on.
No person on earth will crush my spirit. I do get hurt. I am hurting right now, but I am going to my Protector for guidance.
I know the difference between sin and burden. Sin should become a burden. Then we should find a way to release that burden. I confess my sins in prayer, anguishing prayer, At least the ones I notice as sins. He helps me see things I so easily do that are sins to Him, as well. That's when they become a burden. I am shown, I see, I struggle, I share, and eventually, I give it to my Lord.
msbradley - Why not skip the middle man and go straight to your Lord?
I don't need to share my sins with humans. I need to share them with my Father. He knows just what to do with them. And does so perfectly.
I hear what you're saying phoebe and I agree God is the one who will NEVER let us down and He is the one to lift our burdens but sometimes I think He does that through people. Someone once said sometimes I just need my God to have skin. And, of course, it is important to realize that the person is not God but God can use that person to be there for us.
serenity - I want to respond to two of your posts. First:
: Serenity432001 Sun Feb 04, 2007 - 12:35:17
I'm of the mindset that secrets kill. And because of that, I think it is best to share sins and burdens and instead of being so afraid that someone is going to "break my confidence" ask God to take away my pride and trust Him in all things.
Yes, sometimes secrets kill. Sometimes revelation of secrets kill. I think God expects us to use discernment, and not blab to loose-lipped folks those things which were for His ears only. Unfortunately, we don't always recognize the loose lips or the cold hearts until it's too late.
Second:
: Serenity432001 Sun Feb 04, 2007 - 13:05:34
I hear what you're saying phoebe and I agree God is the one who will NEVER let us down and He is the one to lift our burdens but sometimes I think He does that through people. Someone once said sometimes I just need my God to have skin. And, of course, it is important to realize that the person is not God but God can use that person to be there for us.
Yes, sometimes He does that through people. But not always. And sometimes those people we trust to be His ears and shoulders and arms are really wolves in Christian clothing, the kind they put on and take off at will, not the kind that a true Christian wears 24/7.
Yes, it says confess to others. But it doesn't say confess every single one no matter who it might hurt. Sometimes such a revelation might hurt more than the individual, but an entire body of Christ.
Here is what I think it means: This refers to the sins that we commit to specific others. IOW, if I wrong you, I am to confess that wrong to you, we come together under the blood of Christ, praying, forgiving, loving each other over and above our faults, and this union becomes strong and is a powerful force in the world for the cause of Christ. That's what I think, and I certainly hope I am right because the one thing I have learned in my 53 years is to trust no one but God. I have made myself vulnerable repeatedly, opened myself up, trusted those whom I believed to be sent to me by God, only to find that their motives of friendship had ulterior motives, love not being one of them. Repeatedlly. I am no longer able to trust anyone but God. And that's OK.
I believe some things are to kept between me and God.
phoebe,
I agree with you. I don't think we are that far off from each other on this issue. I certianly think it is good to be wise and choose "safe" people as much as possible when we do choose to confide and I agree that it isn't necessary to blab all our sins to everyone we meet. Also, agree even the safe person can let us down that God is the only one we can trust completly and God is the only one who will never let us down.
I guess I, like msbradley, have gotten so much from being able to confess and having someone I can share my deepest darkest secrets that I don't want to let the fact that people will let me down keep me from doing that when I need to do that. I am always aware though that when I do choose to confide that I am confiding to a human and it's possible I'll get let down but I'm also aware that God will see me through if that happens.
As far as saying some things need to be kept between me and God. I respect that decision for you. I actually use to believe that myself and I'm certainly not saying you are wrong. You do what you need to do. I just know for me, when I finally got rid of it all, that thing that I never wanted to let go of, when I was finally able to share that with another human being, it was amazing how the power it had over me was gone. That's all I'm trying to say here. And again, I don't think it is necessary to tell lots of folks but for me it helped to tell at least one other human.