One common response of young children is to run to mom after falling and getting a cut or a bruise. I can recall doing that many times as a child. Moms know exactly what to do to fix it. No offense, dads. I’m a dad too.
One of the things my mom did was first to clean the wound and use iodine before putting on a band-aid. I can recall asking the question before anything was applied, “Is it going to hurt?” And many times it did. That concern, however, did not prevent my mom from using what was needed to help that wound heal as quickly as possible.
What I didn’t know at the time was that iodine is an antiseptic, used to kill bacteria and germs that can cause an infection if not addressed. Placing a Band-Aid on the wound is inadequate and not a good practice.
Offenses in relationships are like wounds. They are bound to happen at some point. Sometimes they are small offenses, and sometimes they are great. Just as the severity of the offense varies, so does the intensity of the pain felt by those involved.
One of the simple yet impactful steps my mom taught us very early in life was to say, “I’m sorry.” The lesson being taught was not to pull out some magic words and be disingenuous. But the intent was to teach the importance of:
1. Taking personal responsibility for causing hurt to another person.
2. Showing concern for the other person’s feelings and pain.
3. Having sincere resolve to learn from that action to do better next time.
These attitudes towards causing offenses are critical to the healing process in relationships. Yet, they are often missing, thus delaying and hindering the healing process.
James 5:16 says, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.”
Relationships are precious. But injuries can and will happen. Confessing our faults is not always easy. It can feel like applying antiseptic to a wound. But it is vital to the healing process. So, no matter how big or how small the hurt, don’t be afraid to say, “I’m sorry,” and mean it.