Whenever we’re studying the Bible we must be careful to note what it says and what it doesn’t say. This Scripture in James 5:16 doesn’t say “Confess your faults to the priest,” neither does it say “Confess your sins to another.” So, you shouldn’t go around telling everybody all the wrong things in your life. No! Brother James is telling us to know where our faults are and to be humble enough to apologize whenever we do anyone wrong; he’s talking about when we wrong each other.
In the course of our daily interaction with people, there are times we consciously or unconsciously cause some people hurt either by our actions or by our words. At such times, don’t feel too proud to say, ‘I made a mistake, I did wrong, I’m sorry I offended you.” Even if the person is your subordinate, you still need to acknowledge your wrong and apologize. You see, when you’re unforgiving and you refuse to accept your wrong, the power of God wouldn’t work in your life. Perpetuating your wrong could also bring sickness into your body. Many of God’s children remain sick in their bodies because of this.
The Bible says, “Pride goeth before destruction…” (Proverbs 16:18). Apologizing to the one you’ve wronged will cost you nothing but your pride. I think it’s worth the sacrifice, especially when it gets in the way of your healing. So, determine right now to do just as the Scriptures have said: “Admit your faults to one another and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (James 5:16 TLB).
