“If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” -- 1 John 1:8-9
If we deny our mistakes or attempt to hide them, we forgo the opportunity for forgiveness and run the risk of repeating them. When we recognize and courageously admit our faults and failures, we can receive healing and forgiveness, learn from our mistakes and move forward in freedom.
Whether our mistakes are unintentional or intentional, God commands we approach Him and those we’ve hurt with a sincere, humble, and repentant apology.
A sincere, humble apology requires more than a mere “I’m sorry.”
When we were children, we were often told to say, “I’m sorry.” No matter what the offense, my mom’s primary request was to recite a simple apology and accept the appropriate punishment. While this method might make us think twice about repeating our offenses, it often falls short of a sincere reconciliation with the people we’ve hurt. God’s Word tells us in Matthew 5:23-24 we are to do our part to reconcile with others when we’ve hurt them.
As I have grown in my relationship with the Lord, I’ve realized there’s a big difference between simply voicing “I’m sorry” and genuinely admitting, “I’m wrong.” The biggest difference in these two approaches is an inner attitude of our heart.
Join me in applying the following 4 Steps to courageously admit when you are wrong and courageously approach those you’ve hurt with a humble heart.
- Confess your mistakes and wrong-doings before God and ask His forgiveness.
- Pray and ask for wisdom regarding the best way to approach the person you’ve wronged.
- Follow through with action by reaching out to the person you’ve wronged, humbly admit your mistakes and ask their forgiveness.
- Accept the response of others, whether they choose to forgive or not, realizing you have taken the appropriate action to heal the situation, God has forgiven you, and you have forgiven yourself. Then –– move forward in freedom.