One blessing Christians are given comes disguised. We are told to bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2 - Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.) and to confess our sins to one another (James 5:16 - Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.). Even though these two commands are separate, I think they go together to form a bigger blessing. Some may not see this as a blessing, but oh, it truly is!
Romans 12:15 says, "Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep." When we rejoice with those who rejoice, our spirits are lifted and encouraged. When we share our troubles with our brothers and sisters, we receive their help and emotional support. A joy shared is doubled and a sorrow shared is halved.
Confessing our sins to our Christian family works the same way. Other Christians know what we are struggling with and can pray for us, help us stop doing that sin, help us replace it with good, and sometimes just be there to listen with a loving heart. We are all one in Christ's body. We hurt when another of us hurts. We are happy when another of us is doing well.
The prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16). Can you imagine the power of so many prayers for help or so many prayers of gratitude? I think we underestimate and underutilize the power of prayer! God is bigger than any opponent we have in the world (1 John 4:4 - Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.). We access an army for the Lord when we share our burdens and sins with each other.
When someone confides in me with their problems, I realize sometimes my own don't seem so bad in comparison. It doesn't matter what I'm going through - it could always be worse! When I confide in someone else, I have a huge sense of relief in my soul. I don't have to carry that burden alone! I have help from someone who loves me. Not only do they love me, they are going to encourage me to do right. We know that by doing right, we are cleansed (1 John 1:7 - But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.).
God has planned all along to give us good things. His plan is always right, even if it isn't what man thinks we should do. I heard a quote once, and I think of it often. "Give God control of the day, or Satan will take it." -Charles Hodge
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