I’m not crazy about confession

by Greg Fowler

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He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness (Malachi 3:3).

Read Malachi 3:1–4

It was a Sunday morning, of all times! My family was getting ready for church and, as usual, things were going wrong. One of the girls spilled juice on their dress and needed to change. The car still had everything in it from yesterday, and Connie’s mum called just as we were about to leave.

‘Why are we always late?’ I yelled. What’s worse, I lectured the family while we drove to church. It was now lunchtime, and the ones I love didn’t want to speak to me. I sat in the quiet of the house (the family went out), the weight of my failure pressing down. I knew I needed to pray and confess the sharp words and selfish pride, but the words felt stuck.

Bringing my sin into the light feels uncomfortable but necessary. And after my work with God, I have much more work with my family. This confession stuff is hard.

But God doesn’t call us to ignore our brokenness; he calls us to confess it. And in that uncomfortable, humbling act, he does his most profound work. The prophet Malachi gives us a stunning image of this process: ‘He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.’

This is what happens when we repent. We are placing our flawed, impure hearts into the Master Refiner’s hands. The heat of his conviction, the discomfort of acknowledging our guilt, is not meant to destroy us, but to purify us. Just as a refiner sits intently, skimming away the dross until they see their own face reflected in the molten metal, so God uses the fire of repentance to burn away the pride, deceit and selfishness that cloud our souls.

The process is undeniably uncomfortable. It requires humility and honesty. But it is not a punishment; it is a promise. God uses our repentance as his refining fire, not to leave us as ash, but to leave us as gold. He skims away what hinders our relationship with him so that we might reflect more of his character and less of our own flaws.

Thankfully, our confession isn’t the last word. The words of God’s grace are the final and permanent words. You are forgiven and renewed.

I heard those words, and I was free. I heard them from God, and I heard them from my family. We grow as God works in us, and our lives are blessed by his actions of grace.

Dear Lord, confronting our failure and sin is challenging. Give us the courage and stamina to speak with you with an open heart. Let us hear your words of freedom and grace! Let us be remade by your work. In your name, Amen.

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