Asking for Forgiveness

We finished our series on "Humbleness" last night at church. Now the whole church is Humble. Yeah, right. But at least we can better define and hopefully practice true biblical humility.

I finished by preaching on how "A Humble Person Quickly Admits Wrongdoing" - both to God, like David did when rebuked by Nathan the prophet (2 Samuel 12:1-13), and to people we offend. Jesus is so serious about us apologizing and having clear and loving relations with one another that he said"

"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift."
Matthew 5:23-24

This shows how God values loving relationships between his children over our empty sacrifices and other forms of worship. So I shared with our church a list of nine steps and a few tips to practically help them to ask for forgiveness. I leave you with the list:

Steps to Asking for forgiveness from ehow.com

(Modified by Mandy)
Step One
Think & Pray about what happened and what it is you are sorry for doing.
Step Two
Write down your apology; this will help you organize your thoughts and calm your nerves.
Step Three
Practice what you plan to say until you feel comfortable with it.
Step Four
State clearly what it is you are sorry for doing. Be HONEST. Only admit to what you believe that you did wrong. If other issues come up, say that you will consider and pray over those issues.
Step Five
Acknowledge your actions (wrongdoing) without making excuses.
Step Six
Share your feelings about what happened - avoid blaming, exaggerating or saying hurtful words.
Step Seven
Listen to the other person's response without getting defensive.
Step Eight
Offer to make amends if appropriate. (You may need to speak to others to fix the problem or make monetary restitution)
Step Nine
Move on. Once you've apologized, let it go.

Tips & Warnings:

• Think of an apology as a commitment to the relationship rather than an act of weakness.
• Be honest. Only apologize for things you truly feel responsible for; don't apologize just to make an unpleasant situation go away.
• Say it in writing if a personal confrontation is just way too scary.
• Give the other person some time to sort out his or her feelings - don't be discouraged if you aren't completely forgiven the moment you apologize.