I'm Glad You're Sorry

I Corinthians 7:9

Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance.
One of the hardest things for me to do as a parent is to scold my kids when they are in error. When you have relationship with your children, it is a tear in your heart when you have to discipline them for their good. I understand now what mama meant when she said, ‘This is going to hurt me as much as it hurts you.” In the end, no pun intended, it helped me to become a better person.

Whenever you discipline anyone you care about somewhere inside it hurts, but if you really love them you do whatever it takes to redeem the persona and bring them back to wholeness even if it means writing a sorrowful letter.

The Apostle Paul wrote a sorrowful letter of chastisement to the church in Corinth. His tone was so emphatic that it convicted the church leaders and made them sorrowful. When you are a leader, parent, or boss, you owe it to the people you care about to speak truth in love. Sometimes we reach a point in a relationship where what we have tried to say has gone unheeded and its time to write a letter. When and how do you write a sorrowful letter?

1. When your heart is so full you need to put it all on paper. Either writing or emailing.

2. When there is too much distance between you. Sometimes there is a lapse in time and too much distance between you to have a face to face discussion so maybe the best thing to do is to write it down and send it.

3. You write a letter as a last resort because your previous conversations have gone unheeded.

4. After you write it sleep with it and read it again in the morning. Never write out of anger and put something in writing that you will regret later.

5. Pray that they will receive it in the same spirit it was written.

Paul was glad they were sorry after reading his letter because their sorrow led to repentance. Their sorrow led to corrective behavior. Godly sorrow leads to life while worldly sorrow leads to death.

A father chastises those he loves in hopes that their souls would be saved. If God never chastised us than we would be bastards and not his. Sometimes God sends leaders to chastise us with the letter of his word. The next time you hear a sermon or read devotion hear it as a letter from Jesus. I hope it gives you good sorrow.

Dear God, I appreciate your letter that helped me to correct my behavior. I was out of control and that letter woke me up. Your word is a light unto my feet and a lamp unto my pathway. Thank you for writing me everyday.

In Jesus Name.

Amen.