Are you a secret cookie dough eater?

Many of us learned as youngsters that raw cookie dough can taste even better than baked cookies. As adults, some of us will sneak a spoonful or two of cookie dough when we’re baking, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

For some of us, however, our addiction to raw cookie dough is rather more extensive. We have a particular problem resisting those tubes of uncooked cookie dough that you can buy in the refrigerated sections of grocery stores.

When we were kids, our Mom would buy a tube of dough and put it in the fridge, but it would mysteriously disappear before she had a chance to bake it.

As adults, our addiction to this surreptitious habit continued. We’d sometimes eat an entire tube of dough without baking a single cookie for our families.

Last summer, the Pillsbury company finally acknowledged what many of us have known for decades: their raw cookie dough tastes darn good, and people can’t resist it. So they’ve developed a formula that is safe to eat raw.

Pillsbury Cookie Dough tubes now state on the label: “Eat or Bake.”

Fellow cookie dough eaters: our secret is finally out!

And yes, I’m admitting that I’ve been a surreptitious cookie dough eater, too. There, I’ve said it.

Frankly, it’s a relief to have it out in the open. It feels liberating to finally admit my secret “sin.”

Do you have a habit that you’ve been keeping secret from your family for years, something rather more serious than eating raw cookie dough? Have you been harbouring a sin in your heart and life that is eating you up inside?

Sin usually involves secrecy, doesn’t it? We’ve been doing something wrong, and we don’t want others to find out.

But it can be draining to hide sinful activities and have to lie to cover them up. Sin has a corrosive effect on our peace of mind, and it will inevitably harm our relationships.

How much better it is to confess our sins to God and receive forgiveness for them!

“People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13 NLT)

We can experience such a feeling of relief knowing that we don’t need to keep secrets anymore. When we acknowledge our wrongful behaviour before God, we feel that a burden has been lifted. We don’t need to continue pretending, but can be completely honest. This is a liberating feeling!

“Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.’ And you forgave the guilt of my sin.” (Psalm 32:5 NIV)

And we know that after asking God’s forgiveness, He can start the process of healing the broken places in our lives and repairing the damage that our sinful behaviour wrought. Confessing our sins to God sets in motion the restoration of our relationship with Him and with others.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 ESV)

Do you have unconfessed sin in your heart? Let’s face it, we all do.

“If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.” (1 John 1:8 NLT)

But the good news is that our sinless Saviour Jesus has borne our sins for us, and has purchased everlasting forgiveness for us through His work on the Cross.

No matter what your sin, take it to God. Confess it, turn from it, and receive the forgiveness and cleansing that only Jesus can provide.

You’ll feel like a weight has lifted off your shoulders!

© 2021 Lori J. Cartmell. All rights reserved.