I read a book that changed my life. It changed how I look at things and how I do things and how I think. It was call “The heart of the Problem” below is kind of some thoughts.
I am not sure why it is so hard for us to say we are sorry or to simply ask for forgiveness. I am assuming it really boils down to pride and for whatever reason our fear. We never want to admit that perhaps we said something wrong or did something wrong. We don’t want to admit that perhaps we handled something wrong or that perhaps we should have our could have handled things differently. We don’t want to admit that perhaps we had a bad attitude, or a wrong attitude, or a critical spirit when we should not have. Why? Why do we carry around strange feeling for other people. Why do we want that baggage with us. Why do we sit and wonder what others are thinking about us or whether they think about us at all. Why are we so willing to harbor bitterness or to deny that we are at fault in anything.
To many times Christians have broken relationships and for whatever reason we think it is ok or that it will just go away. I find nowhere in scripture that it is just ok. I can not find anywhere where if we have offended our brother or sister that the best way we handle it is to do nothing. I also do not find anywhere in scripture that if we have offended another or sinned against them and they ask for forgiveness that we can just assume that we have no responsibility.
The world looks at us as Christians and the very thing that we are to show them we lack. We lack the desire to truly forgive, we lack the desire to love our neighbor as ourself, we lack the desire to ask for forgiveness. Really we lack humility and somehow we gloss over it and we think that it is all ok. Well it is not all ok. It is sin and there is no human remedy for it. It will not just fix itself.
I am sure there are people that dont like me much and I am sure there are those that are holding a grudge against me or even are bitter towards me. I wish I knew who they were I wish they would be brave enough just to tell me so I could say I am sorry so I could ask for forgiveness, so restoration could take place. So they could deal with any sin of bitterness or anger they have towards me, and so we could display to a world that is looking for christians to be real could see what Christianity is truly about.
So if you are reading this and I have offended you or you are angry at me or bitter towards me for some reason. Wherever you are, whatever your thoughts I would ask for your forgiveness and say I am sorry for anything that I have done that may have caused harm.