Earlier today I was in a supermarket car park making my way towards the entrance. I saw something very unusual. A man in an open-topped, expensive-looking sports car pulled out just in front of a ‘People-Carrier’ causing the woman driver to stop suddenly.
The man turned to her and waved, shouting ” I am SO sorry! That was completely my fault.” I did not see her reaction, but she did not beep and continued on her way. She did not see my reaction either, but I was slightly stunned.
I am not used to forthright men apologising in such a way. A lot of men I know struggle to apologise for anything!

His words rang in my ears as I started to shop.
“I am so sorry. That was completely my fault!”

I remember once asking my Nan what the secret to her long marriage was. She replied very simply, “Always be the first one to say sorry dear.” I guess that if you are in an argument, even one you haven’t started, you are possibly partly to blame for that person feeling the way they do… therefore you can quite legitimately (without being a doormat) say sorry for causing that person’s anger or upset.

None of us are that good at recognising our faults in the heat of the moment. We are much better at thinking what we SHOULD have done or said later, aren’t we? But some of us can’t bear to say sorry or own up for something, even when we ARE guilty. We may even try and hide what we have done or make out that it is not important anyway…
“I MAY have broken it, but it was already quite broken when I used it…”
Pah!

Recently, as a church, we have been going through the simply brilliant Rick Warren series called “40 days in the word” which I highly recommend. This past few weeks we have been looking at Bible study as a church and in our small groups to see what can be learnt about how to read and get the most of THE best book. I have had to say sorry to God on a number of occasions.

Sorry because I don’t always make time to read the Bible.
Sorry because I don’t always remember what I read when I do read it.
Sorry because I don’t know it nearly as well as I should.

“I am so sorry. It is completely my fault.”
And it is.
Did you know that no-one else can read the Bible for you? They can read it to you, or near you or even at you. But they cannot do it in place of YOU.
I am meant to read it for ME. YOU are meant to read it for YOU.

But, all too often I have chosen, as have you I’m sure, on many occasions, to lie in bed for longer than I need to, or to watch the TV instead. I have also read Christian books rather than the Bible… or had a longer prayer time and not left any time to read, kidding myself that I didn’t need to.

The trouble with such actions is this: The enemy knows that if he can rob us of the “4th meal of the day” he has taken away our nourishment and our spiritual growth for that day. If we rely on FEELING like we want to do a Quiet Time, or whatever we may call it, he will make sure we never FEEL like it. We will always be too busy, or tired, or ill or 101 other reasons will pop into our brains in plausible audible succession to distract us.

The devil is a tempter. He will tempt us away from that which is good for us.
Perhaps some of us need to own up to God that this is our fault. Completely. And do something about it.
I know I have had to in these last few days.