Will You Forgive Me?

Recently Michelle owned up to a poor decision that affected me. I appreciated that and accepted her apology. I've made plenty of poor decisions myself. However, something was still missing.

I had asked Michelle, a colleague, to sit in on an important meeting she was leading because the information related to my work. Recently Michelle had also invited communication and input on this topic. So imagine my surprise when she gave an odd response and did not invite me to the meeting. I felt frustrated. And mad. And hurt.

Michelle later apologized. She admitted it was a bad decision, told me some of her thinking, and agreed that I should have been at the meeting. I thanked her. However, I wished she would have also said, "Will you forgive me?"

When you or I offend or sin against someone--for example by being unkind, rude, unloving, or breaking our word --saying "I apologize" is a good start, but it can fall short. It can be a cop out at times too. A better approach is to say, "Will you forgive me?" Even better, be specific. "Will you forgive me for ___?"

This acknowledges that we have sinned, which is important when confessing. If you cannot say, "I was wrong. Will you forgive me?"  that often indicates that you are not truly owning your sin. Asking for forgiveness also validates the person we have offended because we own our sin against him or her. It also gives the offended person the opportunity to grant forgiveness, which is one of the most powerful forces on earth.

Forgiveness is a mark of a follower of Christ. So is humbly owning up to our sin. Let us genuinely own and acknowledge our sin and ask, "Will you forgive me?"