How to Share Your Faith Using the Online Confessional Phenom

By Jane Dratz, Christian Post Guest Columnist Monday, August 27, 2007

'Confessing your sins' has taken on a new meaning in the age of the online confessional. Numerous blogs and websites have made it popular and easy to anonymously confess your deepest, darkest sins to others. Some humorous, some heartbreaking - revealing guilty secrets to strangers holds an intriguing appeal.

The heavy secrets tumble out. Admissions of sexual sin, dependence on alcohol or drugs, back-stabbing a friend, cheating - the list goes on and on. The humorous secrets pop through as well - like the Starbucks barista who admitted to using decaf when he filled his rude customers' orders.

So what's the appeal? How does spilling your guilty secrets help you feel better?

Deep inside the human heart is a sense that we've all messed up and that somehow by admitting our secrets it will help remove the feelings of guilt and shame that generally come with wrong-doing. As Christians, we can recognize a Biblical truth that underlies the confession phenomenon. The Bible tells us in 1 John 1:9:

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

Even those who have not experienced the forgiving power of Jesus' grace, are drawn to confessing their failings and acknowledging their shame.

Anonymous confession online is one thing, but would you know how to handle the situation if a friend confides in you and spills their guilty secrets and struggles in the midst of a conversation? Rather than react with shock or condemnation, or run for cover with a lame dismissal, take the opportunity to share from your heart and your personal experience how God's gift of forgiveness though Jesus, provides a release from guilt and shame.

So whether you're having a deeply personal, confidential conversation with friends or chatting anonymously online, try some of these ideas to help you share more about Jesus' free gift of forgiveness:

• Ask your friends if they'd rather admit their guilty secrets to a friend or a stranger?
• Have they ever visited a website where people post their guilty secrets?
• Does that sort of thing appeal to them?
• Ask them if they think admitting their secrets to others is a healthy thing or a damaging thing? Share how your relationship with Jesus has brought healing and forgiveness in your life! Check out Romans 8:1, John 8:36, and 1 John 1:9 for help explaining God's grace and forgiveness. Another great resource is the Soul Fuel article I Know What You Did Last Whenever.

Only God has the power to forgive sins once and for all - forever. So help your friends take their guilt to God and watch His grace overflow in their lives!
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Jane Dratz works for Dare 2 Share Ministries in Arvada, Colo., a ministry committed to energizing and equipping teens to know, live, share and own their faith in Jesus. For more information on Dare 2 Share Ministries, please visit www.dare2share.org. Send feedback to jane@dare2share.org.