Diana was minding her own business, standing in the Walmart checkout line. Until the restroom drama unfolded.
A blue-vested Walmart employee—a cashier—sauntered out of the men’s room, trailed closely by a customer with a proclamation for all to hear. “He didn’t wash his hands!” screamed the customer, jabbing a finger toward the Walmart worker. “He didn’t wash his hands!”
An About-Face
Cashiers stopped. Heads turned. People stared. The disgraced man did an about-face and rushed into the safety of the bathroom. After a few minutes (presumably used to wash his hands?), he snuck out of that bathroom a second time. But he was immediately intercepted by a store supervisor and ushered into her office. One can only imagine the conversation.
The scene prompted a question. What if every time you and I sinned, but failed to confess that sin to God, someone shouted, “He didn’t wash his hands! Look there—she didn’t wash her hands!”
When We Fail to Confess
Imagine the embarrassment. But in the end, it’s you and I who suffer most when we fail to confess our sins. David spoke from bitter experience when he wrote, “When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long” (Psalm 32:3).
That’s you and me, too! Every single time we refuse to confess a sin.
Charles Spurgeon says of our supposedly hidden sin, “It is useless to conceal it, for it is well known to God; it is beneficial to us to own it, for a full confession softens and humbles the heart.”
That’s precisely the path David ultimately chose. His testimony in Psalm 32:5 is this: “Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, ‘I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.’ And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.’”
Never Shouts
Beautiful! Aren’t you glad God doesn’t yell at us when we fail to confess our sins? The Almighty never shouts, “He didn’t wash his hands!” Yet that doesn’t mean he overlooks sin or forgets it. Not a chance.
It’s time to wash our hands.
It’s time to come clean.
Jesus is ready when you are.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
