The Real Thing

"Our churches are filled with people who outwardly look con-tented and at peace, but inwardly are crying out for someone to love them just as they are.... confused, frustrated, frightened, guilty, and often unable to communicate with their own families. But other people in the church look so happy and contented that one seldom has the courage to admit his own deep needs before such a self-sufficient group as the average church meeting appears to be." Keith Miller

To whatever degree that statement is true indicates that we need to be reminded that relationships are not built on illusions; they are built on the real struggles of life. However the struggle that many of us have is that we spend so much time projecting the perfect Christian image that others never get the chance to know who we really are. And when that happens we have failed to recognize that what endears people to one another is the reality of their struggles, doubts, and weaknesses.

This is why in order to discover the power of one anothering we need to seek to establish the relational environment in which people can find the freedom to confess to one another. This can be challenging since even among those who claim to be part of the church, you will find many who are persistently critical, self-centered, and destructive. They gossip, twist your words, and spare no effort to force their opinions on you.

In this lesson we will try to dispel some of the myths about what it means to confess to one another in hopes that we might discover the power of living in harmony with one another in confessional relationships.