What Defines Us?

I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.

My heart sank when I saw the message appear in my inbox. One of my kids had engaged in unkind behavior within a group, and we needed to address it. The note was from an adult who worked with my child, and I felt a mix of embarrassment and anger that my kid would behave in a way they knew was not okay or appropriate within our family.

I called my husband to let him know, and then I prayed. I began typing a response to the email, but I waited to complete it until I could speak with my child. When they got home from school, we sat down to talk. When I told them about the message, their head immediately dropped.

“I know it was wrong. I already apologized yesterday,” they said.

I nodded. “That was so hurtful,” I said.

“I know. I got caught up in what everyone else was doing. I’m sorry.”

I hugged them, then turned back to finish my reply, letting all involved know of our conversation and how my child planned to change their behavior going forward. Later, my child told me that the adult who had sent the email approached them at practice, praising them for being willing to apologize even before being asked to. I was grateful for the grace extended by this person and their efforts to move beyond the incident.

One thing I love most about God is that our past poor choices or mistakes do not define us in his eyes. He reminds us over and over that he loves us. That he will blot out our sins and never think of them again. I’m so grateful that he doesn’t throw them in our face when we mess up more than once. He’s faithful to forgive. And because of this, we have the freedom to own our mistakes, apologize when necessary, and work to change our behavior because we know God doesn’t condemn us.

Kendra

Today’s Act of Gratitude

Is there someone you need to apologize to, but you’ve been putting it off? Or maybe you’ve had a hard time accepting someone else’s apology. Spend time with God, remembering all he’s forgiven, and then take a step to reconcile with the person.