Proverbs 28:13 (New International Version)
Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper,
but the one who
confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
In 1977, New York's Citicorp tower was completed. The
59-story building was hailed for its technical elegance and singular grace. The
structural engineer who designed the steel superstructure was William J.
LeMessurier. A year after the building opened, LeMessurier came to a
frightening realization. The Citicorp tower was flawed. Without his approval,
during construction the joints in the steel superstructure had been bolted, a
common and acceptable practice, but does not make for as strong a joint as
welding does. What made that a critical problem, though, was that in
LeMessurier's calculations he had not taken into account the extra force of a
nonperpendicular wind.
He now calculated that a wind strong enough to buckle a
crucial bolted joint came every sixteen years in New York City. LeMessurier
weighed his options. If he blew the whistle on himself, he faced potential
lawsuits, probable bankruptcy, and professional disgrace. But lives were at
stake. So he did what he had to do. He informed all concerned. After informing
city and corporate leaders, the critical welds were made within three months at
the cost of millions of dollars. LeMessurier's career and reputation were not
destroyed but enhanced. A fellow engineer commended LeMessurier's courage to
say, "I got a problem; I made the problem; let's fix the problem."
Sin is a deadly problem. It can't be covered-up; it has
to be owned up. Is there sin in your life? Confess that sin today and know that
it will restore your relationship with Him.
"It does not spoil your happiness to confess your
sin. The unhappiness is in not making the confession." - Charles H.
Spurgeon
Dear Lord we come to You today asking forgiveness for the
things that are hindering our relationship with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
It's good that he decided he should tell people, lives really were at stake there.
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