You just trash-talked your fellow employee yesterday about how your football team was going to annihilate his.\u00a0 Today, the score on ESPN and the sports page of the paper says otherwise.\u00a0 You contemplate skipping work. . . .but instead, while on your way to work, you quickly develop the top five reasons for his team\u2019s victory (reasons that would avoid the topic of your team being defeated or having to admit that his team played well).\u00a0 What would you try hard to avoid saying? \u00a0_ ___ ______\u00a0.<\/p>\n
Or (ladies), you had a discussion with your girlfriends about the awesome half-off sale at your favorite store.\u00a0 You told all of them a week ago that it was this Saturday.\u00a0 Well, everyone showed up, but no sale.\u00a0 You are ready to write the president of the store a letter telling him how his advertising department failed . . . until one of your friends reads a sign that says \u201chalf-off sale\u201d with the listed dates starting next<\/em> Saturday.\u00a0 What is the hardest thing to say at that moment? _ ___ _______.<\/p>\n So if you’re in to fill in the blanks, than you’ve probably guessed what three words can easily follow up these scenarios (and so many other similar situations). \u00a0\u201cI WAS WRONG.\u201d\u00a0 It hurts just to read it, doesn\u2019t it?\u00a0 Some of you have probably already said to yourself, \u201cHa, that\u2019s your problem\u201d or, \u201cI\u2019m totally good with that<\/em> guy saying those words, but those are not my<\/em> words.\u201d<\/p>\n Not only do we not want to say these words, we typically revert to \u201cgarden defensive tactics\u201d, so to speak, to avoid having to admit personal wrong.\u00a0 Two main tactics exist in every person\u2019s built-in sinful pursuit of protecting self (Genesis 3) when in a state of guilt:<\/p>\n Generally speaking, the older we are, the more creative and skilled we become at manipulating both the data revealing our wrongdoing, and our response to being guilty.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>Generally speaking, the older we are, the more creative and skilled we become at manipulating both the data revealing our wrongdoing, and our response to being guilty.\u00a0 We tend to deceive ourselves and try to deceive others into thinking we are actually \u201cnot that bad\u201d or \u201cnot capable of doing something like that”. \u00a0Or worse yet, we even begin to argue that the wrong done was really ok because of the so called good that came out of it. \u00a0Frankly, if God handed out PhD’s on hiding and blame-shifting, I think all human beings would have that degree, and it would not be an honorary one, but earned. \u00a0To go a step farther, some may be pursuing a second PhD.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s face it, being wrong about which football team will win or when a sale takes place are minor compared to issues like admitting your wrong to your spouse when you raised your voice, or saying you were wrong when you reacted in sinful anger to your child\u2019s disobedience, or admitting your wrong to an employer when you lied about your numbers so they’d look good on the sales report.\u00a0 There are a thousand other examples.\u00a0 We won\u2019t even get started on the individuals in the public eye of business, sports, politics, or religion who have played the hide and blame-shift game; these certainly have a heavy impact because of their large public influence, but the problem itself is still the same…why do we have such a hard time admitting we are wrong?<\/p>\n Here are a few reasons we need to consider in this discussion:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n But<\/em>, the good news…because of one perfect man\u2019s sacrifice, the hardest words to say become some of the wisest and most valuable words to say – and they are followed by the greatest request ever . . .<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Because of Jesus,\u00a0<\/strong>every wrong has been paid for \u2013 with His blood.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Because of Jesus,\u00a0<\/strong>every wrong can be made right.<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Because of Jesus,<\/strong> you can be forgiven.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Because of Jesus,\u00a0<\/strong>there is strength to stop doing the same wrong.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Because of Jesus,\u00a0<\/strong>grace abounds over sin\/wrongdoing. <\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Because of Jesus’ sacrifice<\/strong>, <\/strong>peace can be experienced after wrongdoing.<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Because of Jesus,<\/strong> our weakness can reveal His strength.<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Because of Jesus,<\/strong> our response to sin can be used to bring Him glory. <\/strong><\/p>\n And what is the greatest request to follow the words \u201cI was wrong\u201d?<\/p>\n \u201cWill you forgive me?\u201d<\/p>\n When this question is asked, Jesus, along with all His resources, just got invited to the table.<\/p>\n Using God\u2019s word as our standard, we don\u2019t have to look hard or long to see that there are plenty of opportunities to admit our wrong and seek God\u2019s forgiveness, and the forgiveness of those we offend (Psalm 51; I John 1:9).<\/p>\n I recently had a rough, but needed, two days of back-to-back situations of going to family members and others saying, \u201cI was wrong; will you please forgive me for ___________\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0 You know, even in the preparation for those discussions with family members, I was tempted to sinfully find a way to justify and blame my wrong\/sin on the other family member<\/strong>. \u00a0(Yeah, I know, wicked wrong).\u00a0 God graciously brought that to my attention (without the 2×4 – thankfully).<\/p>\n What did I do in my situations?\u00a0 Well, by God’s grace, I did the hard thing and talked to my family members.\u00a0\u00a0 I admitted that my behavior was wrong and I asked for forgiveness.\u00a0 Hard?\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 But the right thing to do?\u00a0 Absolutely!<\/p>\n As a Christ-follower, these words may be hard, but they also should be said often.\u00a0 God is opposed to the proud, but He gives grace to the humble (James 4:6b).\u00a0 May God help us to humbly admit our wrongs, seek forgiveness, and then take steps to grow and change for His glory.<\/p>\n A few other passages to help on this topic are Romans 5, Ephesians 1-3, and Colossians 1-2.<\/p>\n If you have not personally admitted your sin to God and placed your faith in Christ alone for your salvation, I invite you to visit the post What is the G.O.S.P.E.L.?<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Tactics we use to avoid admitting, “I was wrong”<\/h2>\n
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Reasons we have trouble admitting that we’re wrong<\/h2>\n
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The greatest request ever<\/h2>\n
Use God’s Word as your standard<\/h2>\n