A few days ago, the drain on our shower stopped working. It was strange to see a few inches of water surrounding my ankles at the end of a shower. It had never happened before. We tried bottle after bottle of Drano to no avail. We let it stand overnight hoping to see if the Drano would eat away whatever was plugging the drain, but in the morning the water was still standing.

As we got ready to call a plumber and endure the ensuing cost, Jan looked again at the basin still full of water and realized the problem. We had not released the drain mechanism to drain the water. We both started laughing, thankful that a plumber did not have to come and remind us of our foolish error. The water quietly drained away once the plug was pulled like it had faithfully done for the last 22 years. The solution was just that simple.

The undrained bath water reminded me of a life without confession and repentance. The junk of life begins to build up to such a degree it becomes obvious to everyone that something is wrong.

Jesus told His disciples, “When you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too” (Mark 11:25). The change God has planned for our lives begins when we are willing to “first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against.” Again, it is just that simple. A heart of confession and repentance has the power to take over our reluctant will and cause it to align its decisions with the heart of God.

Over the years, I’ve seen people hardened in their unconfessed sin being set free with dramatic results. The emotions and spiritual condition of their lives resembled a plugged drain. The process of change began when they confessed their sin and watched a change begin. That change was so powerful it drained away years of accumulated sin setting the stage for the redemption and restoration God had always wanted to accomplish in their lives.

This is not about getting more counseling, employing a life coach, or attending another self-help meeting. It is as simple as pulling the plug on our hardened will and allowing the prison of our unforgiveness to drain away from our lives. It has the power to make us right with God and with the people we hold a grudge against. For a lot of us, it became the turning point in our lives.