Yesterday at Church180 we kicked off a five week journey through the book of Romans. (You can catch the heartbeat of the series on the C180 blog.)

To get things started we explored Romans 1:18-3:20. I called our church to deep and thorough confession, something which I am persuaded God is calling us to take seriously.

As I sat this morning with an open journal I began thinking… how do I get started confessing my sin? Confession often feels like I just walked into a junk-filled basement and have no idea where to get started. Well, here’s what I did and found it to be very helpful.

I just started reading the verses we read yesterday and let them shape my confession. For me, I got no further than Romans 1:21, “For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

As I reflected on these verses I realized that my most common interactions with God are filled with whining, questioning, and seeking “next steps.” As I wrote in my journal, my heart was (and still is) heavy. I have regularly walked past opportunities to honor and thank my God and instead have chosen to question, complain and/or seek “next steps.”

For this, my God, I am sorry. I confess that my prayers are often “Paul focused” and not “God focused.” Please forgive me God.

So there’s an idea for you as you begin your journey of confession and repentance.

Do you have any ideas to share regarding confession? How do you get started?