Admitting I am wrong is hard. Have you ever had to swallow your pride and admit you were wrong? James 5:16Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.[1] Confession is powerful and often brings healing to the situation. God did not design us to carry the weight of sin; it weighs us down.
Cain Refuses to Admit He is Wrong
Cain had murdered his brother Abel. What does God do about it?
Genesis 4: 8 One day Cain suggested to his brother, “Let’s go out into the fields.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him. 9 Afterward the Lord asked Cain, “Where is your brother? Where is Abel?”
“I don’t know,” Cain responded. “Am I my brother’s guardian?”
10 But the Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground! 11 Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has swallowed your brother’s blood. 12 No longer will the ground yield good crops for you, no matter how hard you work! From now on you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.” [2]
God doesn’t confront Cain with an accusation, but with a question: “Where is your brother?” I think He did this to give room for Cain to admit his guilt. Instead, Cain ties to divert the blame by asking another question. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
Would Cain’s punishment have been lessened if he admitted his guilt? Scripture has no comment. But consideringly God’s grace when others repented, I believe it would have.
Do You Need to Admit You’re Wrong?
If we are honest with ourselves, we all need to confess our wrongs. The Lord brings this to our minds, not to beat us down but to free us from a burden. I have found this verse to be encouraging: Hebrews 12:1Since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.[3]
Admitting I am wrong is humbling. When we humble ourselves before the Lord and ask for forgiveness we can be restored. When we don’t repent and ask for forgiveness we will not be forgiven. 1 John 1:9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.[4]
A Prayer for the Peace of Forgiveness of Sins
Lord God, when my soul is in turmoil, it is usually because I am convicted of sin. My soul will not be at peace with a sinner’s conscience. It will not allow me to have any sort of peace. Therefore, I come to You to plead forgiveness in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Let His blood shed on the cross pour over me and wash away all my sins. Look upon me not in my nature, but as one who is united to Your beloved Son. Amen. [5]
To hear more about Abel, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/faith-makes-a-difference-abel
[1-4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[5] https://connectusfund.org/25-strong-prayers-for-forgiveness-of-sins