Hello ,
"I'm sorry!"
These are two of the most difficult words in the English language when placed together. Spoken in the spirit of love, accountability, care, and remorse, these words can be a powerful healing agent to the heart of those that receive it.
Why is it so hard to say authentically?
There are most certainly a number of reasons, but here are just a few:
- Saying "I'm sorry" begins with a moral inventory of ourselves that can be painful. We first have to admit to ourselves that what we have done to someone else had the potential to hurt someone else.
- We become fearful of the outcome on the "other side" of the apology. Many times we simply don't know what the other person will say or do if we say those two painful words.
- It's often embarrassing. Admitting that we were wrong can be such a painful thing. We sometimes feel like we open ourselves up and become vulnerable to the other party when we express our sorrow for something that we have said or done.
Saying "I'm sorry" can be really tough!
Why not just skip the parts of the scriptures and simply by-pass the places where it tells us to do the hard stuff (like saying "I'm sorry?")
Is God really all that worked up about it?
Matthew chapter 18, and 2 Corinthians 5 are chapters that we would do well to read...often.
These chapters are pretty clear, that as Christians God has given us the ministry of reconciliation....whether or not we are the offending party.
God gave us the ultimate example of reconciliation through the gift of Jesus Christ. Heaven was NOT the offending party, and yet it chose to reconcile itself to the world through the gift of Jesus Christ. The same is true for God's followers...or those who claim to be.
Hard Question: If I claim to be a follower of God, and yet I continue to brush relational obstacles under the rug, whose counsel am I really following?
"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." Matthew 5:9
There's a reason why our adversary will continually attempt to help us legitimize our desire to NOT make amends with those whom we have wounded.
He understands that when relational "wedges" exist between people, that God's ability to heal, and that his reputation as a "life-changer" becomes "damaged" in the eyes of those who watch Christians relate with one another.
Seeking reconciliation is a serious matter, and it can be some of the toughest work that a Christian can embark upon.
God is faithful, and He CAN and WILL help those who ask Him.
Have a great day and God bless!
