How often have you been told to “say you’re sorry,” or told your child to “say you’re sorry”? It is important in training a child to teach humility, kindness, empathy, honesty, forgiveness, and many other principles involved in Christian living.
Have you ever considered that using the phrase, “say you’re sorry” could be the wrong way to teach that lesson? Simply saying that you care, that you’re honest, or saying that you forgive someone is not actually doing or being that thing.
Instead, try saying, “Jimmy (or Jessica), you need to BE sorry about that and tell Bobby (or Betsy) that you ARE sorry.
Similarly, our hearts are very important as we live the life of a Christian. We are not to say we are honest, or humble, or forgiving. We are to be honest, humble, forgiving, kind and empathetic.
In Mark 12:28-34, when a scribe asks Jesus which commandment is foremost of all, Jesus does not respond with “Say the Lord our God is one Lord and say you love Him with all your soul, mind and strength”. Instead, He says, “you shall love Him in this way”. It is an action, not just merely words. The same applies to the second commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” It must be actual and real, not just something we say. Mark notes that Jesus was pleased with the scribe’s statement that to love in this way was “much more than all burnt offering and sacrifices.”
Just like many Jews who offered their sacrifices and burnt offerings without their hearts engaged, we too can sacrifice and worship, etc. and not have our hearts in it. We can go through the motions of doing the right things and saying the right words, but God desires our hearts to be fully committed. He wants us to be who we are, to be real, authentic, and sincere… not merely an act or something superficial.
Let’s examine ourselves and determine to actually BE who and what God wants us to be.