Apology Needed?

Dear Victorious,

I've done something heinous to my best friend, but she doesn't know I did it. It's truly a case of what she doesn't know won't hurt her. But the guilt I feel is killing me. If I tell her it will ruin our friendship. (She'd be horrified.) If I don't, I feel like a fraud and a phony. What should I do?

Sunny G. - St. Paul, MN

Dear Sunny,

You've got a dilemma here. There are no solutions to this problem. From a Biblical perspective, I think confession is always the answer. But to whom you confess really matters, especially in this case. If you confess to the person you've wronged ... they could be injured. Mind you, I'm taking you at your word that she won't be injured unless she knows. But if that's truly the case, then find someone who is trustworthy and make your confession. Ask them to pray with you about that sin specifically. Leave your guilt and shame at the altar with your confession and move on.