repentance is hard, but it's free

have you ever had to say your sorry? i get to say that one a lot.

it's hard. saying i'm sorry. especially if you say it truthfully.

i'm sorry. i know i hurt you and i'm sorry. i can't say i didn't mean to, because i sharpened those words before i said them. i thought about what i was doing and knew it was wrong and new it would hurt you. yet i said/did it anyway. and i'm sorry.

how about the words "i'm sorry" and then you continue to hurt the person the same way you just apologized for. is it hard to say "i'm sorry" again? and do they believe you?

but how about when we take it to god and say "i'm sorry". he forgives and forgets. he gives a do over. and it's free. he doesn't expect anything from you.

repentance is asking for forgiveness and turning from the behavior. now if we could do it and get it right just by wanting to, just by asking for forgiveness one time. there would be a lot of perfect people. i don't know any perfect people. perfect is not a word i would ever use about myself or my life. in fact, the pressure of having a perfect life is more than i can handle. too far to fall when something goes wrong.

anyway, i thought about all the people in my world to see if i owe any apologies. where repentance is necessary. there are a few that i need to deal with, and i have. there are a few that i need to deal with, but they don't know so telling them would just be kind of dumb because they don't know i've been upset. it wouldn't make either of us feel better, so that one gets to be dealt with between me and god.

i know there are people that i have hurt that i didn't do it intentionally or my words hurt, but i stand by them and that is different. if i offend a young woman who e-mails my husband inappropriately and tell her it's wrong both of us want it to stop, i won't apologize for that, as long as i wasn't cruel and called her a home wrecking @$%&*@ or words to that effect. which i wouldn't didn't.

1 john 1:9 says "But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness".

repentance - it's not a one time event. it's an ongoing process.

repentance is hard, but it's free. more than that, it's freeing. it will release you.