I'm Sorry

Two of the hardest words to say, but also the hardest ones to accept:  "I'm Sorry"

^14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ^15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Mt 6:14-15.,NIV)

The problem with forgiveness is moving on.  God has been really speaking to me the last couple of days regarding "forgiveness".  Biblical forgiveness is "letting it go as if it never happened".  When God forgives us this is what He does, He lets it go as if it never happened.  God allows Himself to willingly forget what we have done wrong.  That is simply amazing.

I'm very careful about when I say those two words, that I sincerely mean them.  I have to be deeply sorry and full of regret.  So when someone takes the time to tell me they are sorry I have the responsibility to accept it, just as when I offer an apology to someone they have the responsibility to accept it.  It's usually not the giving and receiving of the apologies that hangs us up, cause lets be honest its pretty humbling to offer up the apology, it the part that follows that gives us the problem.  That is what to do next.

What we do next is the mandate to let it go as if it never happened.  When we are challenged with this concept of letting it go we find ourselves saying, "what, are you serious??"  Feelings get hurt, things get said, and we think to ourselves there is no way I can forget and move on.

I have made more mistakes in life that I care to admit.  Many I have apologized for.  Most have been accepted.  All I have recovered from.  Holding a grudge, being mad or uncomfortable with someone is such a HUGE waste of time, and frankly I don't have time for it, and neither do you.

I worked for a man during my career at Ingles whose name was Paul Pearson.  He taught me early in management that when you do something wrong that you own up to it then move on.  Working for Paul was great, he became one of my greatest influences and friends.  Paul would be the type that when you messed up he would let you know real quick and he wasn't nice about it.  However, once he let you know about it he was done, then you went and played golf.  Paul never held a grudge.  You always knew where you stood with him.  I knew that no matter how bad I messed up at the end of the day he was still my friend, and let me tell you I made some mistakes during my years working with Paul.  I had such a good relationship with the man that he told me when he left that "if this church work thing didn't work out to call him, he always had a position for me".

What we have to keep in the forefront of our minds is that we are imperfect people in an imperfect world.  You are going to make mistakes and I am going to make mistakes.  You are going to need forgiveness and I am going to need forgiveness.  For the rest of our lives we will have this circle of giving and receiving of forgiveness. 

As always God has left the choice in our hands, and the decision is yours and mine....

Chris