The very thought of confessing those hidden habits. The things you're most ashamed of. It's terrifying, isn't it? You might be picturing what people will think. Or perhaps you're just plain afraid of being judged. But what if I told you that God's promise of grace is actually far greater than any fear you carry? And that true, lasting freedom is waiting for you? On the other side of honesty. Hi and welcome back to Battle Drill Daily Devotional. I'm Robert Smith Payne and I'm here to help you start your day spiritually strong. Now let's jump in. You see, I get it. That tight chest feeling, that knot in your stomach when you even picture saying those words out loud. Because once you've spoken them, it it's out there, isn't it? It becomes real and then someone else holds a piece of it too. So what do we do? We stash that guilt away in a back drawer, tell ourselves that we're managing just fine, and we desperately hope that nobody ever flips that drawer open. Romans chapter three, verse 23 is often the mirror we avoid, isn't it? It says, for everyone has sinned. We all fall short of God's glorious standard. Everyone. Not just you. Not just me. Every single one of us. This verse isn't some kind of club to beat us down. It's a leveling statement. A truth that helps us stop pretending that we're the only failure in the room. Psychologists have a name for this burden. They call it cognitive load. Carrying a secret literally drains your mental energy. There was a study from Notre Dame back in 2012 that actually found people who kept big secrets, made 30% more careless errors on memory tests. Think about that for a moment. Guilt is heavy. It leaks into your sleep. It affects your work. It strains your relationships. King David knew this all too well. He described it saying, when I kept silent, my bones wasted away. Silence might have felt safer in the moment, but it was eating him alive from the inside out. Confession, you see, isn't just some religious hoop that we have to jump through. It's spiritual physics. Remove the pressure. Bring things into the light and the system. Your heart and your mind begins to stabilize. So with all that in mind, why are we still so afraid? I think there are three fears that usually top the list. The first is rejection. We tell ourselves they'll walk away from me. If they knew. The second is labels. The fear of being forever branded. I'll forever be known as the addict, the fraud, the t, the cheater, whatever. And the third is the shame spiral. That terrifying thought. If they really knew, they'd never look at me the same way again. Now these fears feel absolutely massive, don't they? And often that's because we've already judged ourselves harsher than anyone else, ever could. We expect thunder and lightning, a crushing condemnation. When God, in his incredible kindness, is actually offering us a towel of grace and a fresh start. Remember when Jesus told the paralyzed man, take heart, my son. Your sins are forgiven. Before he even healed his legs. Notice the order there, grace first. Then the steps towards physical wholeness. Here's where the housecleaning part comes in. Picture your garage, perhaps. It's cluttered. It's overflowing. You can still park your car there, but you have to ensure way in, cringing at the mess and the piles of stuff around you. Confession is like turning the light on in that garage. It's about sorting through the boxes, tossing out the rubbish and finding that clear floor space again. The same thing happens in your heart and your soul. Step one quiet honesty with God. Just pray. Search me. Know me. Show me. Step two. Speak it aloud to him. No need for fancy religious code. Just plain honest talk. And then. Step three. Being a trusted, safe human into the picture. One safe person. Maybe it's a pastor or Salvation Army officer, a mentor, a counselor, or an accountability partner. And here's a crucial point. If they seem to love gossip more than they love Jesus, then keep looking. Safe people pray for you. They don't parade your struggles around. Maybe you're sitting there thinking, well, my things worse than anything you can ever imagine. My sin is just too big. Well, then, I want you to hear this clearly. The cross is sized for all sin. Petty lies, explosive rage fits. Embezzlement, adultery. All of it. You see, Paul in Romans follows that chapter three, verse 23, verse with chapter three, verse 24 saying, yet God in his grace freely makes us right in his sight. Grace isn't a footnote in God's plan. It isn't plan B, it's the headline. Confession is simply how we receive what he has already purchased for us. Your fear is real, I know, but his promise is surer. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Did you notice that? Faithful means that he won't drop you and just means he won't overlook it. But he deals with it legally in heaven's court. Forgiveness is covenant bound, not mood dependent. So here's a challenge for you today. After this devotional ends, find ten quiet minutes. Just ten and pray this simple prayer. God, show me the one thing I need to bring into the light today. Then actually tell one safe person this week if you don't have that person in your life yet. Well, then maybe email a trusted church leader or a Christian counselor. Just type out. I need to confess and I don't know where to start. Send it and then watch how the ceiling lifts and how the pressure eases. You're not stuck. You're not singled out, and you're definitely not disqualified. The very fact that you even want to confess means the Holy Spirit is actively drawing you towards freedom. Don't let fear write the ending to your story. Let Grace do that instead. Remember, God's kindness is aimed at you, not at crushing you. Freedom lives on the other side of honesty, and it's already yours to step into. Receive it today. Thanks so much for watching Battle Royale Daily Devotional. If you found today's message helpful, please like, share and subscribe so we can keep bringing daily encouragement to more people. And for more devotionals and resources, head over to Battle Drill devotional.com. Stay strong and Stay Battle ready.