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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.

Quote from: msbradley on 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:

Quote from: Serenity432001 on 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:

Quote from: Serenity432001 on 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.