I don’t know how many times a day I have to tell one of my littles to apologize for something they said or did to hurt one of their siblings. With four of them, it’s pretty frequent. Don’t get me wrong, they love each other and they get along really, really well. But there are days when it seems to be their goal in life to drive their sisters or brother crazy. (Which drives me completely out of my mind). When I do get them to apologize it is half-hearted at best, and at most the look on their face tells their victim that “I’m only saying this because mom is standing beside me.”

We as adults hate saying we are sorry, too. It’s hard to admit we were wrong or that we have hurt someone. Yet we have no trouble demanding the same thing from a four year old. Now, I might not have thrown a matchbox car at point blank range, but I have thrown some sharp words that hurt far longer than the bruise from that flying car. We may be sorry for what we did or said to someone, but we do it again and again when we are frustrated or angry. There isn’t any true repentance.

God tells us not to just be sorry, but He calls us to repent from our sins. 2 Corinthians 7:9-10 tells us, “As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a Godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” God wants us not to just be “sorry” for our sins then continue on as though we were never burdened. He wants us to repent or turn from our sins, never to return to it. We need to be changed and to live a life as God has called us to live.

What an awesome example we can be to our families if when we sin or hurt someone we can admit we are wrong, seek forgiveness and live differently. We can leave our sin and sinful nature and cling to God. This week I pray that we will seek forgiveness from our sins and truly repent!

Be bold, Be brave, Be blessed!
Whitney