To say, “I apologize!”
The idea of actually apologizing or admitting that I am wrong is a rather hard thing to do. Why is this so hard? What is so wrong with going up to someone and saying, "You know what, I messed that one up and I want to truly apologize. Can you forgive me?" In fact there is nothing wrong with doing that. Yet, in today's culture there is everything wrong with doing that. We are taught to fight to the bitter end and never admit when we were wrong.
Then in a dark room behind closed doors with no one looking, we offer an apology. There are a lot of examples in the media that we could point to. How many news papers have ran front page stories about someone that were wrong. Only to run back page retractions. Or how many times has someone been accused of something publicly and found not guilty because someone made the story up. Yet the person is not made to apologize for the dragging the person through the mud publicly.
Yet, the underlying issue here is the guilt that builds inside a person for not apologizing. In the book of Lamentations 5:15-16 we read, "Joy has left our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning. The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned." Sin in our lives will fester like a wound that is not treated. Unconfessed sin will suck the joy right out of your life. At first things might not seem that bad, but given enough time that unconfessed sin will become a big deal.
Why not take the time to make things right between you and the Lord. Then between you and someone that you might need to apologies too. I had to apologies to someone just two weeks ago for something that I did several years ago. I had said some things to him that upon reflection were not nice things. I did not handle the situation that I was in very well. So I had to go to him and apologies face to face. And please remember this very important step, ALWAYS apologies in person if possible. Never apologize through a text message or via email.
**To the Ends of the Earth**
Red Beards