Genesis 33:4 But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept.
It is always really important to stay in the word. I just noticed this. I always thought Esau blew it forever when he sold his birthright for some soup. Sure sounded pretty serious to me. God even said.
Romans 9:13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
But here you see that Jacob and Esau ended up good. By hugging each other was the same as saying, I-Was-Wrong, forgive me. Esau was blessed. There were consequences of his sin of him despising his birthright. Years of separation and rage. Father of the Edomites (not God’s people). But he had riches and a family that loved him, even his brother who he wanted to murder. Just because he swallowed his pride and stopped doubting God.
So much in life gets better when you just say ‘I-Was-Wrong’. Lots of pain is quickly healed by true repentance. (Acknowledging your sin and error, unbelief and pride). Doctrines may need to be re-visited when you have Bible wars, and if you are humble and believe that the Holy Spirit will guide you into all truths, you’ll probably have to say, forgive me, ‘I-Was-Wrong’. Instead of searching the scriptures to prove your point (which I intentionally stopped doing because I was really getting good at it) read the scriptures and ask God to show you. Arguments about trivial things have harmed many relationships which could be easily remedied by one person saying ‘I-Was-Wrong’. Defrocked pastors and priests go into hiding instead of saying it. Criminals in prison never say it. Cheating husbands and wives could restore their marriages with these 3 magic words, straight out of the Scriptures by the way. When you see somewhere that you overstepped, just say so. I-Was-Wrong!
Get this, I have been bragging for 5 years now that I haven’t even had a sniffle since I have been reading about healing in the Bible for other reasons. Well, I got bit by a critter or a poisonous plant last week, and no matter how much I prayed and confessed my finger kept on swelling and getting more infected. I started doubting. Then I got a dry cough, sore throat, headache and fever. (Only for half a day). I thought oooooops here we go! Nope, it was not covid, it was just a dry cough, sore throat, headache and fever. Basically brought on by my doubting. I realized that I was doubting, because God didn’t heal my finger, and other things He hadn’t fixed yet to my satisfaction. Doubt crept in, and so did a cold. Lasted 12 hours. I repented. Last night God healed both my cold and my boo boo’d finger. I told God ‘I-Was-Wrong’ and He healed me. I told you ‘I-Was-Wrong’ just now because I was bragging about not getting sick. I-Was-Wrong because Christians do get sick. I still hold that the sickness isn’t from God, we let it in through doubt.
Failure to repent and say I-Was-Wrong is the number one reason for failed churches, pastorates, marriages, families and careers. Failure to say I-Was-Wrong stems from two problems, pride and doubt.
1. Pride-That’s obvious, husbands refusing to ask directions, spouses refusing to say I-Was-Wrong after starting an unfounded argument, kids refusing to say it to their parents and vice versa. Pride is sin. Pride kills.
2. Doubt-Not so obvious. When someone is wrong, they fight to prove they are right. They don’t concede even if the Lord is showing them something. They don’t concede and say ‘I-Was-Wrong’ because they don’t believe what the Lord is showing them and telling them through the word. If someone gets caught in a lie, they fight to be proven right. If you’re telling the truth, who cares? Many times if it’s getting heated and over something trivial, I say I-Might-Be-Wrong, if it doesn’t affect anything. Why fight? I might be wrong. If God is insisting though, I don’t back down. I won’t say I-Might-Be-Wrong if God doesn’t let me.
We all know pride is sinful. But doubt takes us back, never connecting the two. Doubt is unbelief. Doubt is rebellion. The Bible does not differentiate between sinners and non sinners. In fact the only place people are called sinners is when Jesus was talking to the religious people. The two categories are believers and non-believers. Doubters and non-doubters. Non-believers, doubters go to hell. Non-doubters, believers go to heaven.
Discussions and arguments are won and lost daily. None of it matters. What matters is when we see ourselves in error, or sin, is to say ‘I-Was-Wrong’. Not half heartedly, but with all your heart.
Here’s a classic argument. 2 men went into the temple to pray. A publican and a Pharisee.
Luke 18:11 “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.”
Talk about an indirect insult!! The publican could have responded angrily. But he didn’t. Instead he said ‘you are right, I-Am-Wrong’! He actually believed in God, didn’t doubt that He was there. The Pharisee was clueless, full of doubt and pride. Self pride leads to unbelief in God.
Luke 18:13 “And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.”
He didn’t have pride. He didn’t doubt God, so he entered into God’s rest.
Jesus said the publican got saved!!
Luke 18:14 “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
Just confess (agree with) to God, and anyone else saying, ‘I-Was-Wrong!’ It goes a long way.