The Philosopher Carlyle once said, “The greatest of faults is to be conscious of none.” We do have faults, all of us, and it is folly not to be conscious of them. The Alcoholics Anonymous folks teach us that we cannot be helped until we admit that we have a problem and are willing to confess it and seek for help.
Their approach is the same one that our Heavenly Father gives to us through the apostle John when he tells us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
No confession? We are stuck with our sins. Not conscious of our faults? We still have them and one more added — a thick-headed attitude of self righteousness.
So the very first thing each of us needs to do every day is to confess his faults to God and ask Him for forgiveness. James also adds, “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.”
It is very sad there are some who can never say they are wrong. Obviously they are wrong, for, as Carlyle correctly stated, the greatest fault of all is to be conscious of none.
There are 12 words which can help us to be reconciled to our Heavenly Father as well as help us to get along with each other. These 12 words are: “I was wrong, I am sorry, please forgive me, I love you.” Why is it that so many people will not say these words when they are obviously so helpful?
A wife once confided that in 25 years of marriage her husband had never once told her he was wrong, or was sorry, or asked to be forgiven. Let us hope that sometime during that 25 year period he did tell her he loved her.
Now either she married the most remarkable man alive who was never wrong in 25 years, or she is married to a partner who has a king-size problem. It isn’t hard for us to figure out which of these options describes her husband.
What about us? Are we able to admit our mistakes to our spouse, to our children, to those we work with and to our brothers and sisters in the ecclesia? To refuse to recognize our shortcomings is the greatest fault of all according to Carlyle, and according to our Heavenly Father.
It’s time for us to set the record straight and ask to be forgiven, for as Jesus has taught us in the Lord’s prayer, we need to ask to be forgiven or we will not be forgiven.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One