The Real Love Story
A 1970 movie entitled Love Story contains this quote: “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” It is fine in a movie script; but in reality, it is a lie from the pit of hell. According to God’s Word, love is learning how to say, “I’m sorry.”
An irate husband might boast, “I walked out on my wife last night. She is always right, and I’m always wrong, but not this time. I’m not going to let her walk all over me again. I know I’m right on this matter, and I’m not giving in. I’m staying away until she crawls back to me on her hands and knees and admits she’s dead wrong.”
Along with learning to say, “I’m sorry,” all husbands and wives must learn how to say, “I forgive you.” Jesus warned that the forgiveness of our heavenly Father depends on our forgiving those who trespass against us.
Has your husband or wife cheated on you? Have you been grievously wounded by divorce? Were you falsely accused of something in your workplace? Have others spread gossip about you that has damaged your relationships with friends or coworkers? Has someone stolen from you when your budget was already tight and the bills felt like too much?
You may never forget, but you must learn to forgive. As long as you live, you may be haunted by the images of your husband or wife in the arms of someone else. You may always hurt and grieve over a betrayal or lost opportunity.
If the person who wronged you has shown evidence of godly sorrow—and every effort is being made to make it up to you—you must forgive.
Even if there is no evidence of repentance and that other person goes on to a prosperous life, seemingly without a care despite the harm they’ve done to you, you must forgive.
Scripture says, “The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression” (Proverbs 19:11, NKJV), and “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses” (Mark 11:25-26). Even as we contemplate our grief and wounds, let us be quick to obey the Lord in this matter.