I’m Sorry for What I Said

Have you ever let a crude snippet escape from your mouth? Many times we tried to cover it up like we were joking, but really we meant it—especially if we felt provoked or offended by our friends. It’s easy to excuse ourselves and try to justify our words because of their actions. However, God doesn’t take lightly one word out of our mouths; we will be held accountable. Because of His great love and concern for us, the Holy Spirit will gently prick our spirits to deal with our sin.

There is a way to deal with this sin: Simply confess it first to God and ask His forgiveness. It’s a good time to think back to what brought you to that point. Were you feeling vulnerable or intimidated? Or perhaps there’s a root of envy or jealousy in your heart. This sin came from somewhere, and by searching your heart with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you will come to some understanding of why you went there.

The second step can be a difficult and humbling step, that is to go to your friend and ask forgiveness. It’s tough but worth it. We reveal the grace of God when we model true humility by admitting our faults. If we resist this step, we give Satan an advantage over our hearts and possibly could ruin a great friendship.

Let’s remain sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit over the words we say. We can speak truth in a sincere and loving manner to the building up of our friends.