A feeble attempt at confession sounds like this, "And I probably said a few things that I shouldn't have..." or "I might have messed-up a bit..." But are these types of statements what God had in mind when he told us to confess or are they simply said to soothe our conscious or seek forgiveness without admitting that we really harmed anyone?

Proverbs 28:13 says, "He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy."

I think the word "renounces" is significant. True confession admits & renounces wrongdoing. It calls sin what it is - horrendous, despicable & damaging. Consider David laying on the ground, crying out to God. David was renouncing his sins, not covering them, or making them seem mild.

Let's move past the temptation to soften our confessions to God and others. Let's call things what they are, confess our wrongs, call them awful, and humbly admit our need for grace and growth. Isn't that exactly what we need from others when they wrong us? And don't we want to teach others about the significance of sin?

A side note: Jesus lived more humbly than us, yet he never needed to confess anything. That says something about our pride.