Outside: Confessing Our Hidden, Inward Sins to God

Without confessing our hidden sins to God, they will seep to the outside of our lives. We must surrender our secrets for a blessing and hope-filled life.

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and a wise person captivates people.

Proverbs 11:30, CSB

Everything Seemed Picture Perfect

When my family and I first moved into our little house in the middle of nowheresville, we had the most beautiful oak tree in our backyard. It was easily one of the reasons, if not THE REASON, we bought the house in the first place. It had the perfect branch to hang a swing on for the kids and it provided some much-needed shade to our otherwise very bare yard.

The beautiful oak was located right behind our back deck and kitchen; which worked out great for me while I was making dinner. I have a huge, beautiful bay window in my kitchen that allows me to still see the kids as they play outside, in the backyard. We observed this spectacular tree, which seemed full of life, change from season to season the first year we lived here. Then, one day, something looked different about our beloved oak.

The Outside Revealed The Inward

By Spring 2017, we noticed our tall oak tree wasn’t sprouting new greenery. We waited as long as we could and hoped it would produce new green life soon. After all, the other trees behind it were blooming fine. Sadly, though, that just wasn’t the case.

We had an expert tree guy come out to give it a look. He found that it was diseased badly on the inside with decay and rot. We were, unfortunately, witnessing on the outside, what had been taking place for several years inwardly. The moment the oak tree was separated from the other surrounding trees, it’s inward struggles started to show. What once seemed strong and beautiful, was now dying. And there was nothing we could do to stop it.

Used For a New Purpose

Obviously seeing this was awful because it meant we had to cut our favorite tree down. We decided to use the tree trunk as separate stumps to sit on around our fire pit. My husband, Mike, chopped and split the branches to use as firewood.

When we first knocked it down, I remember thinking “ugh.. what a shame! I wish we had another big oak tree we could plant there that looked just like that one!” I mean seriously… it was just too bare with that tree gone! We needed to do something! ANYTHING! But what?

I looked up and said, “Okay God, what am I suppose to do now?”

Find the Hidden TREEasure

Once we chopped the diseased tree down, Mike quickly spotted another established oak just within the thick part of our woods. This tree was massive in size with an even better branch to hang a swing for the kiddos. The only problem; it was surrounded by thick shrubs, bushes, little trees, twigs, sticks and more. Getting to it was not going to be an easy task! Well, not for me anyway!

Mike thought of this, so I cannot take credit for it. Although, I secretly wish I could. He decided to go into the woods with his ax and start chopping down all the small trees that were in the way. He then cleared the debris; any sticks, rocks, and vines were tossed aside.

He finished it off by taking his riding lawn mower to get all the low shrubs and bushes. He literally made a path to this huge oak tree by creating what looks like a cul-de-sac in our woods! Then he hung the kid’s swing on the sturdy branch and he built them a fun fort with a slide and all! It’s so awesome! 

Call to me and I will answer you and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.

Jeremiah 33:3, ESV

Becoming Aware of Our Need for Renewal

In our lives, we have to be honest about what’s going on inside our hearts and minds. The deep-rooted sins inside us have become issues that we brush off far too easily on the outside. We never really deal with the underlying sin when we do this. These inward sins will naturally eat at us from the inside to the outside. Until we can’t hold them in anymore.

Friends, our Father in Heaven loves us so much! He knows ALL the diseased trees sitting inside us becoming worse by the minute. We need to lay these sins at Jesus’ feet where they belong. This way, we can see a clear path to the healthy tree in our life. God can take our sins, and use them for a new purpose too! He can use them for His good to kindle the fire of salvation that has begun in someone else’ heart!

Our sins DO NOT make us who we are, but rather, they keep us from becoming the person God created us to be. Laying down the sins that destroy us from the inside out, allows room for the renewal of our inner person to finally take place.

Therefore we do not give up; even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day.

2 Corinthians 4:16, CSB

Acknowledging Our Sins to God

Acknowledging our sins and taking them captive before the throne of God is of utmost importance if we ever want to mature and grow in our faith. Confessing our sins and asking for forgiveness is necessary in order for the Holy Spirit to work in us properly.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9, CSB

Once the sin, or diseased tree, is finally chopped down, then the Lord will begin to teach us the steps we need to take in order to split the branches into firewood. He will walk with us to throw the pieces into the fire and make sure they burn for good. After this process, which depends on the person’s willingness to change, God will then show us the new path.

It was there the entire time! We just couldn’t see it before because we were blind to it! It was covered up and hiding behind all that worldly debris and clutter in our life. Can you relate, Dear Sister?

Once we are able to see God’s path, leading to a bigger and better tree, then we can finally begin walking faithfully forward to find restoration and peace.

Claim Your Tree of Life

Ladies, let’s choose to go to our Heavenly Father and lay down all of our diseased trees we have tried to keep hidden deep inside. God knows they are there, yet He waits for us to bring them to Him. He desires nothing more than to bless us with the Tree of Life we were always destined to have. It’s the only tree that offers hope, purpose and true satisfaction. It has a firm, unshakable and solid foundation, strong enough to swing, play and even rest on.

So, tell me Dear Reader…What diseased trees are in your way of claiming this awesome blessing today?