Bible Text: Colossians 3:13 | Speaker: Darlene Sala | Series: Encouraging Words | Some experiences just stick in your mind for the rest of your life. One of those happened to me when I was just a small girl. I had mouthed off to my Mom, and she had slapped me. I was startled, to say the least, because that was not her usual way of handling discipline. My reaction was to swallow hard and leave the room as soon as possible.

That night when I was lying in bed waiting to fall asleep, my Mom came into my room—and, to my great surprise, apologized for what she had done. I was amazed by this, because she had never apologized before. We hugged—and I never forgot her humble willingness to apologize.

Is it okay to admit to your kids that you were wrong? Doesn’t that cause them to lose respect for you? No, a thousand times, no! In fact, they will look up to you all the more.

A mom had yelled at her 10-year-old son for misplacing the car keys when she needed to run an errand. Then she discovered he hadn’t misplaced them. She had. For the first time in their family life, she took him aside and admitted she was wrong, asking him to forgive her. Out poured a store of resentment that he had bottled up in his short life. On each point she agreed with him, because he was right. Finally, he put his arms around her and said, “Mom, you do love me. I forgive you.” She said they both cried with a joy and a love for each other that was never there before.*

The Bible says, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Col. 3:13). Just think what healing could occur in your family if you are willing to say to say to your son or daughter, “I’m sorry. Please forgive me.” Do it today. Set aside your pride and turn heartache into joy.

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* Verna Birkey and Jeanette Turnquist, A Mother’s Problem Solver (Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1978) 101-102.