Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my
transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. – Psalm 32:5, NIV
Sarah overcharged a client for a large project that her firm was handling. It was a mistake, but when she found it, she freaked out. Sarah was still new at the company, and she worried she’d lose her job if anyone saw it.
So, Sarah rearranged numbers on one of her spreadsheets. She put the money into another fund and hoped that accounting wouldn’t look at the numbers too closely.
When she left the office that night, Sarah couldn’t stop thinking about what she’d done. She couldn’t eat that evening and had difficulty falling asleep. It was an honest mistake; she kept telling herself.
Later that week, Sarah met her mentor for lunch. As the two women talked, Sarah eventually told her the whole truth. “I didn’t mean to do it, but now that I’ve covered it up, I feel even worse. I keep a constant knot in my stomach.”
Her mentor nodded, “That stomachache is guilt eating at you. When you try to hide things, you make a situation worse.”
Sarah took a deep breath and asked the question that had been on her mind all week. “How do I make this right?”
Her mentor said, “Confess. First to God, then to your employer. It’s far better your boss hears about it from you instead of your client.”
God, help me when I’m tempted to hide my mistakes or sins. Give me the courage and integrity, to tell the truth, no matter what. Help me to walk in honesty. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
