“She’s so pushy and intense. She had no right to say what she did. I hate it when she . . . ”

Later I struggled to fall asleep or even pray. I felt convicted. I had desired prayer support, but I’d also called on a friend I knew would agree with me when the first opportunity to gossip arrived. Whether I had a right to be angry, I realized I’d handled it incorrectly.

Forgive me, God, I prayed. I confess: I asked for prayer hoping it would open the door to dump my frustrations. As soon as I made things right with God, He showed me the solution. I did need to voice my hurt—to the friend who had offended me.

Choosing to live for Christ does not mean we never sin. When we succumb to temptations to lie, cheat, hate, or gossip, our poor choices often seem justified at first. Then later, when God shines a light on our true motives, we see the darkness that lurks in our hearts.

Scripture reminds us repeatedly that sin, no matter how we rationalize it, builds a wall between us and God. David offers many examples of how we can break that wall down through confession. While admitting we were wrong isn’t easy, it brings relief and a fresh start. Sometimes we even get the answers we were looking for when we made that regretful error in the first place.