James admonishes us to confess our faults to one another and to pray for one another so that we may be healed. Our tendency is to confess someone else's faults to others, commonly called gossip. But our own faults we keep to our bosom like a precious child. That habit is deadly.
There is strength in pairs. We lift one another up. If we know someone is going to ask us how we are resisting a certain temptation, we are more apt to overcome it (Ecclesiastes 4:9-11). AA and other overcoming addiction associations are founded on this principle.
I find it best to follow certain guidelines when confessing faults. 1) Confess to the one you hurt (Mt 5:23-24). 2) be careful that you chose someone trust worthy to confess to. Not all people are safe (Proverbs 13:20; Matthew 10:16; Ephesians 5:15; 1 John 4:1). 3) Examine your motives on a regular basis (Matthew 7:3; I Corinthians 11:28-30) 4) above all as a team look to God.
