Love Is Saying You're Sorry

TITLE: Love is Saying You’re Sorry
DATE: November 17, 2018
TEXT: Luke 6:31 ESV) -31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
1 John 1: 8-9 -If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

Way back in 1970 there was a film called, Love Story.

Love Story was a romantic drama which starred Ali MacGraw and Ryan O’Neal. It was nominated for a slew of awards and walked away with an Oscar for “Best Original Musical Score.” There were a great many people who loved the movie. I am not one of them. Please don’t be upset with me. I have a reason.

That reason centers on the movie’s famous line: “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.”

Now in the film that is a beautiful line, a poignant line an emotional line. It is a line which people started believing and started quoting. The problem is… in real life “never saying you’re sorry” doesn’t work out so pretty good. It doesn’t work between people and it doesn’t work between sinners and the Lord.
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The truth is most of us don’t like to say “We are sorry”, or ‘We are wrong.” We don’t like to say it and most of us aren’t very good at it. Now it’s grand if you are the kind of individual who can get through life without fighting, arguing or getting into verbal and emotional fisticuffs. If you are one of those folks you don’t have to read any further. You’re off the hook for today. But if you’re not one of them, then here are some thoughts:

• Following the Savior’s example we forgive others who have sinned against or hurt us.
• Being a Christian means we repent of our sins to the Lord and…
•  Sincerely apologize to those around us when we are wrong.

So far nothing new, right?

Then how about this….”Love means saying you’re sorry; sometimes even when you aren’t.

I make that statement because I have watched any number of couples, men and women who really loved each other go their separate ways because each was convinced he/she was right and the other person needed to say, “I’m sorry.” Both waited for an apology which never came. Far better for both to occasionally bite the bullet and come out with a genuine-sounding, “I was wrong.”

Right about now some of you are really upset. You’re shouting, “Are you really asking me to compromise, to sell out, to give in?” If you feel that way, accept my assurances “I would never ask you to do that.” What I am asking you to do is follow the Savior’s word: “as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.”

Yes, love means saying you’re sorry… sometimes when you’re not.

Except with the Lord.  With the Lord you’ve got to be honest because “if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Yes, love means having to say you’re sorry.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, grant me the grace to honor You and the Savior with my heart, my actions and my words. May I forgive as I have been forgiven and repent as I ought.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.  

The above devotion was inspired by a number of sources, including one written by Sophia Benoit on November 2, 2018 for GQ. Those who wish to reference those articles may do so at the following link, which was fully functional at the time this devotion was written: https://www.gq.com/story/is-it-too-late-now-to-say-sorry?mbid=synd_digg