i was wrong. i’m sorry. forgive me.

Can you say those words? Do they come naturally to you or do you tend to stumble, stutter, or choke when you try to speak them?

They are not always easy to say. Occasionally they pour out of us effortlessly when we plead with a loved one to forgive us from some shortcoming or offense, but often they get stuck in our throat and it takes a superhuman strength to mutter them into the atmosphere.

We do need to speak them. These three simple sentences of just seven little words form the most powerful cleansing compound of any other verbal sequence. Uttering them with a sincere heart can cleanse any situation, any person, any institution, and even any nation.

We don’t hear these words spoken very often today, do we? We hear justifications. We hear explanations. We hear carefully crafted non-apologies like, “If I offended anyone with the insensitivity of my actions, I apologize for how it might have come across.” But we seldom hear humility.

Humility is difficult. It is easier to say “mine” than “yours”. It is easier to justify than confess. It is easier to dig in than give over. Yet, it shouldn’t be this way because humility is the nuclear power of the kingdom of God. Humility releases God’s grace (James 4:6), which can level mountains and raise foundations (Zechariah 4:7). Humility aligns us with God and positions us for future rising and promotions (1 Peter 5:6).

I was wrong. I’m sorry. Forgive me. Let’s try it. Let’s add these words to our daily vocabulary. Let’s speak them until saying them becomes actions that yield attitudes that create healing atmospheres of life, love, and grace for the people around us.