Forgiveness and Humility

October 12th, 2025

Psalm 32:1-11.

The child had been accused of breaking the rules. Unknown to him, several other children had witnessed it. When asked by the teacher whether he had indeed broken the rules, the child had a choice to make: Tell the truth and seek forgiveness or not. The teacher assured the child that being truthful upfront would be the best course of action.

Seeking forgiveness without truthfulness or humility misses the point of repentance and forgiveness. When we seek forgiveness, we are submitting ourselves to the grace of God. We are saying that we were headed in the wrong direction and that we now repent—turning ourselves around in the right direction. To turn the direction of our lives, we must be honest. Withholding a part of who we are and what we were doing stands in the way of the forgiveness we are seeking.

Think of a time when someone asked for your forgiveness without sincerity or humility. What was your reaction? How was that situation resolved? Now think of the last time you asked for forgiveness from God. How were those two situations different? Similar?

May you approach forgiveness in truth and humility.

Author: Stefanie Hendrickson