I recently saw some advice shared online that had to do with how to forgive when you don't get the apology you deserve. It offered advice like; hold on to your truth, honor your pain and your feelings, reclaim your power with certain actions, don't let the other party invalidate your feelings, and forgiveness is ultimately about regaining control over your life. "That's not the advice we need. What does God say about apologies and forgiveness?
We need an apologetic on apologies.
How do we know when we are owed an apology? How do we know when we ought to apologize? How should we apologize? How should we accept an apology and forgive someone? What does it look like to be "sorry" and what does it look like to be "forgiving"? By what standard? Join Hilary and Nate as we discuss apologies and forgiveness, from a Biblical worldview.
Listen to MacArthur's Philemon series here: https://www.gty.org/library/resources/sermons-library/scripture/1?book=57&chapter=0
The five points of "How to forgive when you don't get the apology you deserve" alluded to in this episode are:
Hold onto your truth: you don't need the apology to validate your feelings or the situation.
Don't try to suppress or say "Its okay" when its not. Recognize and honor your hurt and pain.
Figure out what boundaries you need to put up and enforce. Part of reclaiming your power is how you decide to spend your time, energy, and space.
Don't let them gaslight you into thinking it's your fault, or that you are too sensitive. Your feelings are valid.
Remember: forgiving them doesn't depend on their apology, and it doesn't excuse their behavior. Forgiving means their actions don't control your emotions, mental health, and happiness level.
Music from Pixabay. Logo by Hilary Saunders.
