Just Saying I am sorry is not always good enough

Chances are that you know people who are fairly quick to apologize when they have offended someone. Oftentimes, the same person, sooner or later, offends the same victim or another, for the same or a similar situation. And, sure enough, quickly renders an apology.

If we wish to be honest with ourselves, perhaps we too are guilty of this.

Chances are that we are, or were, quite sincere in our apology. So why wouldn’t this be good enough?

An apology may be good enough to earn forgiveness from the person who was offended. But it is not good enough to free one from the trait that caused the offense. And it is the latter that is of greater importance to the individual.

As long as the trait persists, we will continue to offend and to ask for and, perhaps, get forgiveness. But we will keep tying ourselves to the Earth and its environment (the World of Matter), since it is only here that any offensive behavior can occur.

An unrecognized danger from being so quick to render apology is that by focusing on the offense caused, we fail to reflect upon what motivated our action. For example, lashing out in anger at someone could be caused by a feeling of insecurity, prideful hurt or envy.

Therefore, as we ask for forgiveness, we should first reflect deeply within us for what motivated our action. It is only in recognizing this that a sincere person can begin to tackle the evil behind the action. And this should gradually lead to fewer and fewer recurrences of offensive actions.

Indeed, the effects of the Laws of Creation are influenced only by the motivation behind our actions. True forgiveness, or the balancing out of the effects of our actions, can only be carried out by the Laws of Creation. For example, through the activity of the Law of Sowing and Reaping we are given the opportunity to experience the nature of our activities and motivations, and to then make a voluntary change in those motivations.

Of course a victim who forgives an offender benefits, through the activity of other Laws of Creation, from this voluntary decision to forgive. Also, a sincere offender, in being put to shame by such magnanimous act, may feel a deep twinge of conscience that compels a regenerative process within.

Indeed, the most assured path to freedom from any evil is the awakening of a deep and sincere sense of shame at harboring such emotion within. No one needs to know this. Your Spirit will, and the laws of Creation will take effect accordingly. So no need to engage in any open acts of “true confession”.