Lord, I'm not good enough--but forgive me!

What would a Christian life be without true confession, I wonder.

"Seek for yourself, O man; search for your true self. He who seeks shall find himself in God."

This past week I have been reading bits and pieces of St. Augustine's "The Confessions" and found myself very very moved by it. I find that it is oftentimes way easier to just dwell in sorrow of being in sin than to actually pick oneself up and confront it. Harder still is to actually record it in the diary and do such a self-analysis...

Many have told me that they don't think they are worthy of God's grace, and that they have been *too* bad--so confession wouldn't do them much good because they will sin again sooner or later. I think several times I have thought the same way as well. The fact that I have knowingly committed all these sins, surely God won't forgive me? But slowly I am learning that I'm actually measuring God from my eyes. I think He won't forgive because I cannot forgive myself (if I were to be in His shoes). But the matter of fact is that He is God and I am not. I judged him based on human character!! But He is love, and He is Grace... and He has shown me all this on the cross already. Why did I still have such doubt (especially if I know Him to be my true God)?

True confession is one of the most beautiful Christian things to do--by that one is called to painstakingly analyze onself in his/her heart and action--and also makes a commitment to change... and most of all it is a necessary component in geniune prayer, turning to the Only Righteous One for help and comfort. He will never give up on us--so we shouldn't either!

http://www.ccel.org/a/augustine/confessions/confessions.html