Day 22 — Brave Enough to Say Sorry

“Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,’ and You forgave the guilt of my sin.”

— Psalm 32:5 (BSB)

When you think of courage, you might think of battles, adventures or standing up to bullies. But here’s a kind of courage that a lot of guys struggle with: admitting you were wrong.

It’s hard to say, “I did it.” “I was wrong.” “I’m sorry.” It can feel embarrassing. It can feel like losing. So guys often do other things instead:

• Blame someone else. “He started it!”
• Make excuses. “I only did it because…”
• Deny it. “It wasn’t me.”
• Hide it and hope nobody finds out.
• Get angry at whoever caught them.

King David knew all about this. He once did something terribly wrong and tried to cover it up for a long time. In Psalm 32, he describes how it felt: “When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long” (Psalm 32:3). Hiding his sin made him miserable, inside and out.

But then David did the brave thing: “I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity.” He stopped hiding. He told God the truth. And look what happened: “You forgave the guilt of my sin.”

Relief! Freedom! The weight lifted.

The same thing happened to Peter. After he denied Jesus three times, he “broke down and wept” (Mark 14:72). But he didn’t run away from Jesus. And Jesus forgave him and restored him.

Admitting you’re wrong takes more courage than covering it up. Anyone can blame someone else. A strong guy owns his mistakes.

Here’s how to do it:

• Tell God the truth. Confess what you did, honestly.
• Tell the person you hurt. “I was wrong. I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?”
• Don’t make excuses. Just own it.
• Make it right if you can. Fix what you broke. Pay back what you owe.

And remember: God isn’t waiting to crush you when you confess. He’s waiting to forgive you.

Think about it: Why do you think it’s so hard to admit when you’re wrong? What’s the difference between how David felt before and after he confessed?

Try this: If there’s something you’ve been hiding or blaming on someone else, have the courage to confess it today, to God and to the person involved.

Dear God, it’s hard for me to admit when I’m wrong. Give me the courage to stop hiding, stop blaming and stop making excuses. Thank You that when I confess, You forgive me. Help me own my mistakes like a real man of God. In Jesus’ name, Amen.