God Speaking

“…unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

(Matthew 18: 35)

When my husband was running his busy Dental Practice, he had wonderful, instructions to all the receptionists who met patients at the front desk, as sometimes they had to deal with angry confrontations, usually concerning billing related to insurance companies. This was his advice to diffuse anger and to calm whoever perceived some sort of wrong doing

“Always begin with the word, Sorry!”

It was amazing that agreeing with the person who was angry, before retaliating with defensive remarks, always allowed a better discussion of the problem.

Forgiving others who are really, angry with us, is often very hard to do and retorting with equally angry words is often the first thing we feel like doing. James has some wise words that somehow need to be imprinted upon our minds, (I seem to forget them often);

“My dear brothers, take note of this. Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” (James 1: 19)

Meaning that you are truly sorry is also very difficult that is why Jesus emphasises that when we are saying we forgive somebody it has to genuinely be heartfelt. (Matthew 18: 35)

I have two granddaughters who were born very close to each other, six days apart, and as they were growing up little spats broke out between the two cousins, I remember witnessing one, when they were three years old, where both mothers were trying to teach them to say sorry. The punishment was for each to go to their room and when they were ready, to come out and say sorry. The elder of the two opted to say sorry first and as she stood in front of her cousin, with hands on her hips, she shouted and made a rude face as she said sorry. Obviously that lesson failed, but even if we don’t go to that extent just mouthing sorry without coming from the heart, negates any true forgiveness.

Too often we have heard the words, “I forgive you, but I won’t forget!”  I love the verse in Jeremiah, where the Almighty God is speaking to his people and assures them and of course us as well, that when we say sorry to him he promises to forget what we have done all together!

“…because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Jeremiah 31: 34)

Saying, sorry, begins the forgiveness cycle and when we practice both being willing to say sorry and being willing to forgive one another, we are blessed by living out Jesus’ beautiful example of loving one another as he commanded us to do.