‍"So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" Colossians 3:12 (NASB)

This week we've been talking about how an apologetic heart can alter our relationships.  Each day we have heard about different situations where an apology was needed and the reaction from all the ones involved.

I've made a special effort this week to really focus in on my social interactions, and to take notice of the times when "I'm sorry" have entered the conversation.  I thought about how I was feeling at the time, how I felt during the conversation, and how I felt afterwards.  And what I found out was this...

The apology means very little if it's not attached to an apologetic heart.

As we all know sometimes saying I'm sorry is extremely difficult, and at other times it rolls off our tongue without a hint of resistance.  What factors play into which path we choose varies depending on the situation, the person (or persons) involved, the possible outcomes, and the emotions we have dwelling within.

In my opinion that last one - our emotions - is the deciding factor in whether our offer of “I’m sorry” is truly genuine or whether it is just a socially appropriate gesture.

The times I’ve found saying I’m sorry the hardest is when I am not sorry.  I am not sorry for my actions, nor am I sorry for the consequences of my actions – to me or the other individual.  And that my friend is a very dangerous place to be, because it reveals a devastating truth.

When this is how I live then it is obvious who I am living for, and it’s not God.  No, with this state of mind and heart, I’ve chosen to forgo His divine nature and taken on that of another.  I’ve become consumed with Satan’s character and it infiltrates every aspect of my life, infecting anything and everything it touches… including those around me.

Colossians 3:12 says this…

“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience”

Whether it's because of a prideful spirit, or because we feel justified in our actions, or because we simply are not sorry – we as God’s chosen are called to a higher standard.  We were called out of the pits of Hell and placed in the Heavens alongside our Savior.  We’ve traded our filthy rags for His royal garments, and it’s time for those things… a heart of compassion, acts of kindness, a humble spirit that always responds with gentleness and patience… to become what catches the eyes of those around us.

Oh sister, will you join me today in making a conscious effort to allow the Holy Spirit to change us from the inside.  To pursue these heavenly and holy attributes above the desires of our flesh.  To surrender our broken and defective hearts over to the Great Physician, in exchange for a heart that is saturated with the love of Christ and is therefore genuine in all it does.

My sweet Daddy... to know You is to know love, for it the very essence of Who You are.  Thank You for the genuine forgiveness You freely offer to all who would come.  I am so sorry for what I've allowed the condition of my heart to become.  Please remove the rot my flesh has produced.  Uproot anything within me that isn't sown in Your love.  

I pray that Your love, Your compassion, Your kindness, Your humility, Your gentleness, and Your patience would consume every aspect of my life so that as I move about the earth I may leave behind signs of Your life instead of the devastation and destruction caused by Satan.  Allow me to embrace the process of this change.  Lord, I praise You and thank You in advance for the way You will answer this prayer.  For it's in Jesus' Precious and Holy Name that I ask these things, Amen.

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