Forgiveness is two fold.
It is what we offer to others when they wrong us.
It is also what we ask for when we wrong others.
We do this by saying “I’m sorry!”
Saying “I’m sorry is a big deal!”
Have you ever watched “Happy Days” with “The Fonz?”
He just couldn’t bring himself to say he was sorry! He would start with the word and then this sound of “soooooorrrrrrr” would come out and he could never finish the statement. There was something in him that caused him to just be unable to say he was sorry.
Let’s think for a moment on how we say we are sorry.
There are good apologies and bad ones.
Today . . . let’s do a little self check and make sure we aren’t saying “I’m sorry” in any of the following ways. If we do, then we are not really admitting fault but instead are continuing to place blame on the other people.
“I am sorry YOU felt hurt by what I did.”
“I am sorry you are so sensitive.”
“I am sorry you felt I did something wrong.”
“I sorry you think I did something to hurt you.”
When we start an apology with what the other person did, it really isn’t an apology at all.
Our scripture verse for this week that we are encouraging you to learn is following:
Colossians 3:13 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.