It Starts With MeSample

It Starts With Me Apologizing First

As Christians, we are called to live in unity and in peace. However, this is not always an easy task. Your best friend will talk about you behind your back, he may steal that girl that you were talking to, and your friends may not invite you to that party. Instead of turning on our friends and holding grudges against the people that anger us the most, we are actually told to love and forgive these people.

Matthew 5:22 says that in God's eyes being angry with someone in our hearts is the same as murdering them. By remaining angry towards someone, we give Satan a way to creep into our lives. Anger can steal our joy, take away our fun and steal our opportunities.

How can we fight to not be angry towards others? By apologizing first. Take the first step in experiencing more joy by being the first to apologize. When that one person is still causing you to be angry, you are just as much in the wrong if you continue to go to bed angry with them (Ephesians 4:26). No matter what they have done to you, they deserve your apology for staying mad at them.

• Is there anyone in your life that you need to apologize to?

• Talk to that person today. Do not go to bed without apologizing to them and talking about why you have been angry.

Just as we did nothing to deserve the forgiveness that God offers to us, our friends deserve the same forgiveness from us.