Hello ,
"Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?" Romans 2:4 (NKJV)
"Say you're sorry!"
My mother used to use that phrase on me when I was growing up.
There was only one small problem...I usually wasn't sorry.
That fact didn't seem to matter to her, as long as I appeared to be sorry for what I had done. To her credit, she wanted me to be sorry and repentant, but it just didn't seem to be in me to feel that way.
I was sorry that I got caught, but usually not sorry for what I had done.
This is the conundrum of the human race; they're usually not sorry for the things that they're done...only that they were caught doing them.
Love changes all that!
One day (a number of years ago), I spoke crossly to my son, Michael. I had been struggling through a challenging week in ministry, and those angry words came flying out of my mouth before I even realized that I had let them go.
I could tell by the look in his eyes that I had wounded his feelings. He didn't say anything in retaliation; he just got his coat on and went to our barn, and began sweeping the floor. He's that kind of person; quiet and unpretentious.
My heart was completely broken as I watched him walking slowly to the barn.
I was SO sorry!
I didn't have to TOLD to go and say that I was sorry to my boy. Love constrained me to make my way to the barn right then and there.
My eyes filled with tears as I walked towards him.
"Michael, I am so sorry that I spoke to you the way I did in the house. You're my favorite man in the entire world, and I would never doing anything to purposely hurt you. I was wrong. Please believe me."
By this time, the tears were spilling onto my cheeks freely.
His eyes filled with tears and he responded, "It's okay, Dad. I know you've had a really rough week. Thank-you for saying that you're sorry. It means a lot to me."
We embraced, and held onto each other as I kept saying over and over again, "Please forgive me, son."
Love made all the difference!
In a sinful, human condition, we simply can't be truly sorry for the things that we do that are wrong, unless God is at work in our lives. The love of God leads us to repentance. It's a gift, and all we have to do is unwrap it, and open it.
Saying that we're sorry shouldn't be manipulated or coerced. It should come freely from hearts that really are truly repentant.
Have a great day and God bless!
Pastor Mike / The Open Word
P.S. The photo above is from a few years ago when my son was heading on a mission trip, and we were saying "good-bye" at the airport. Michael led out in a Vacation Bible School in Panama, and I couldn't have been more proud of him.
