A part of our lives that requires humility comes when we must reconcile — with God, with our friend, our spouse, a neighbor. “I’m sorry”– that I took liberties in my self-righteousness. I’m sorry for hurtful words, for hurtful acts which broke your heart.
Friends, the anti-Christ spirit of the age touts “big-boy” clothing, promotes the world of fighting rage, laughs at the “second-rate” people who dare to say, “I’m sorry.”
These are labeled “weak” and despised. These weakened ones cannot play in “man” games of slander and character defamation without remorse — they surmise. These lack the courage to threaten others, to harass, to justify hatred, to blame — they decide. These cannot converse behind the backs of colleagues, separate friends, perfect the two-faced sagacity, conspire to maim — they figure.
The “big adult people” view sincere love as an Achilles heal, a flaw to be exploited. They escalate a trip to the store into a brawl, a safe travel by car becomes a rage.
Like it was on our 5th grade playground — bullying fear rules the roost!
But, Revelation 3:7-10 teaches, “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.”
Jesus defined His generation In “Luke 9:41 “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? ”
Luke 11:29 “This is an evil generation: they seek a sign.”
In Acts 2:40 ” Save yourselves from this untoward generation.” Matthew 16:4 “A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas.” Matthew 23:33 “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers,”
Proverbs 30:14 defines our generation “A wicked generation have swords for teeth and jaw-teeth as knives, so as to destroy and devour the lowly from the earth, and the poor of them from among men.”
And Revelation 3:17 “…rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and know not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Sound familiar?
But for us is a promise. For who? “for the ones who have, “a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.”
Worldly strong we are not. We are cleaving to His Word of grace, which is able to build us up. Acts 20:32. And lastly, we are not denying His name, (nature).
His nature we stand in and on, His nature we hold fast.
In His nature we love, we forgive, we have compassion, we care. And we reconcile, – say we are sorry.
The generation models hardness, we hold a soft heart — they like slander, we like praise, they seek to hurt, we seek to heal. They exalt themselves above the others, we live down with the others, they run roughshod over the “masses,” we pick up broken pieces. They lie, we speak the truth. We are ambassadors for Christ.
Lastly, don’t forget: “I’m sorry, I love you” when needed. love ya
