Apologies
21 "You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, 'You shall not murder;' and 'Whoever shall murder shall be in danger of the judgment.' 22 But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whoever shall say to his brother, 'Reyka!' shall be in danger of the council; and whoever shall say, 'Shoteh!' shall be in danger of the fire of Gehinnom.23 "If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are with him in the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison. 26 Most assuredly I tell you, you shall by no means get out of there, until you have paid the last peruta. - Mat 5:21-26 HNV
Mark messed up. He arrived an hour late at a restaurant where he was to meet a friend from church. The friend had already left. Feeling sorry about his mistake, Mark purchased a gift certificate from the restaurant and stopped at a local card shop to search for an apology card. Among hundreds of cards, he was surprised to find only a few “sorry for my actions” cards in an obscure part of the store. He purchased one and gave it to his friend who accepted his apology.
Although apology cards may not be popular, apologies are frequently needed in our relationships. Apologizing is a biblical action. Jesus instructed His followers to make things right with those we’ve offended (Matt. 5:23-24; 18:15-20). And the apostle Paul said, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Rom. 12:18). Living at peace may require apologies.
Apologies can be hard to make because it takes a spirit of humility to admit our mistake, which may not come naturally for us. But taking responsibility for how we were wrong in a situation can bring healing and restoration to a relationship.
Have you messed up? Swallow your pride and make the first move—even if you can’t find a card to help you say it.
Whenever you offend a friend,
Apologize and make things right;
For if you will admit your wrong,
You may avoid a needless fight. —Sper
The best way to get the last word is to apologize.
http://odb.org/2012/05/10/apologies/
"Fair Use For Educational or Discussion Purposes"
"Baruch haba ba'Shem Adonai!"
"Blessed is He that comes in the Name of the LORD!"
