The other day, I went over to my cousin’s house to play a game of Sorry. The whole concept of the game is for each person to go around the board and enter their home base. They do this by moving a specific amount of spaces directed by the cards they draw. If you land on a space that your opponent already occupies, you move them all the way back to the beginning. If you are really ornery you yell, “SORRY!” as you do this. Of course you do not mean it. This is particularly obvious with me since I giggle in glee as I knock their piece out of the way with considerable force. I really do not regret it at all.

While it can be amusing in board games (at least in moderation), such apologies do not get us far in life. People, already frustrated at the offense, have little tolerance for false apologies. God does not respond kindly to them either. He knows our heart. He knows if we are truly penitent, or if we are just sorry that we got caught. One of my most embarassing admissions is that there have been times where I have not apologized to God until I need a favor from Him. While I should not let that stop me from asking for forgiveness, it illustrates a weakness in me, and my be an important indicator of my sincerity.

What God desires from us is true repentance. Our sin should be grotesque to us. It should pain us that our actions have hurt the one we should love most of all: God. Just like when we have an estranged spouse or best friend, being seperated from God hurts us. That realization is the basis of our repentance. The good news for us is that we have a God who is quick to forgive. If we come to Him with an attitude of reconciliation, our relationship will be restored.