Asking for forgiveness from others prioritizes the relationship over who was right or who was wrong. There are many times in life that I think I am in the right and I deserve an apology. My own righteousness demands atonement and I simply won’t negotiate until they say they are sorry. However, when I look at the situation through the lens of restoration, who was right and who was wrong just doesn’t seem to matter as much. The bigger question for me personally is, will I have enough humility to take the high road, admit I am not perfect and simply seek to mend the relationship, even when I feel justified in my actions.
When restored relationships are our core motivation we see people in a new light.
We realize that we must have grace with them because they aren’t perfect. And yes they may have been wrong, but how many times are we ourselves wrong? I don’t know about you but I am far from being perfect. And I’m not talking about far, as if I’m a fly ball hit way out in left field—I’m so far from perfection that I’m not even in the field, I’m not even in the stadium, in fact I’m in an entirely different city altogether!
Friends, you can’t be responsible for others. But you can bring your heart to God, ask Him to search you and give you the courage to say “I’m sorry,” with a heart to restore. I believe when you do that a fresh measure of God’s love will be poured out on your life. I believe that dead areas in your life will come to life again. That wells of water will be unplugged and start overflowing from within you to the world around you. That you’ll experience His presence in fresh new ways.
Forget about who was right or wrong for a moment and think about restoration. It takes courage to repent and I pray that God grants us all the gift to give it freely and readily.
So after weeks of planning how I would finish the last two chapters in Courage to Walk the Holy Spirit broke in reminding me that I too need the courage to repent.
I am now surrounded by a table filled with handwritten cards. Glittering gold hearts grace the top of each pastel pink notecard. A vanilla candle’s fragrance is looming in the air. Each envelope is complete with names upon them, representing stories written in the past pages of my heart.
As I look at their names my spirit wells with love and a deep-seeded knowledge that their best days are before them. I am genuinely sorry. I no longer care if I was in the right or wrong, I just want them to know how cherished they are in God’s sight.
I’m not saying this chapter is for you. This chapter is all for me. I am acting out the courage needed to repent and discovering simultaneously that … repentance truly does bring life.
Bring it Home: Is there someone in my life that I need to say "I'm sorry" to? If so, what am I waiting for?
"Never ruin an apology with an excuse." - Benjamin Franklin
Want to hear more about how scripture relates to this topic. Simply click this link and write "Unpublished Chapter" in the subject line for a free PDF download of Courage to Repent.
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Want more resources? Check out this book on Amazon by Smith Wigglesworth. It's a great daily devotional chronicling the miracles he experiences through his lifetime and lessons Jesus taught him along the way.
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