Thursday, July 23, 2009

"It's my fault."

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive us (1 John 1:9).

When’s the last time you said, "it’s my fault"?

Saying "I’m sorry" doesn’t count. A lot of times, we say that we’re sorry, but we really aren’t. We have learned that saying "I’m sorry" can get us off the hook. However, the only thing we’re really sorry about is that we got caught doing something that we shouldn’t have.

Sometimes when we say "I’m sorry", we go on to qualify it with a "but." When we do this, we try to pin the blame on someone else. For example, a person might say, "I’m sorry that I slapped you, but you made me so mad that I just lost control!" You’re not really sorry for doing something wrong; you were just a victim of circumstance.

But saying "it’s my fault" is different—when you speak these words, you assume responsibility for your actions. You’re not making excuses or trying to shift the blame. When you say "it’s my fault," you are acting like a responsible adult.

Owning up to your mistakes is scary. No one likes to be punished, and admitting that you screwed up invites punishment. Painful situations are unpleasant, and we instinctively do whatever we can to avoid them. It goes against our instincts to step forward and face the music; we know that forgiveness generally comes with a price tag attached.

But you don’t have to hide your sins from Jesus. Frankly, you couldn’t if you tried. The Lord knows everything you think, hears everything you say, sees everything you do. You can’t lie to Him. He won’t let you push the blame off onto somebody else. But there is no reason to try and hide your guilt. If you tell Jesus "it’s my fault" and ask His help in doing better from now on, the Lord will forgive you. There will be no demand for suffering to make things right; on the cross, Jesus has already done the suffering for you. All He asks is that you place your life in His hands, trusting in His love and following His teachings. Don’t waste any more time trying to hide from your mistakes; admit your sins to God, and enjoy the relief that comes from receiving His gift of forgiveness.

Blog Top Sites
Blog Directory & Search engine
Blog Directory