My Dad said this all the time when I was growing up. I never really thought about it much, but the truth of it struck me this morning.When our children were little and one needed to apologize to another, we insisted the perpetrator say he was sorry to the one he offended. We didn't allow a grouchy, grudging, unrepentant apology. The perpetrator had to look his victim in the eye, speak with a sincere tone and then hug the offended brother or sister. A "cheap" apology isn't a real apology.
This leads to what I think of as a political apology. You know, the type of apology a politician makes when his sin finds him out. "If I have hurt anyone . . ." Notice the If, there is no ownership of the offense.
A friend sends a quick text and says, "I really miss you." That's nice, but genuine friendship also means an investment of time and energy. When we send a text or email containing this type of platitude with no real intention to remedy our neglect, we're often only assuaging our own conscience by sending it at all. Talk is cheap.
I say "I love you" to my husband, but I treat him disrespectfully, nag him and criticize him. Is that love? My talk is cheap.
Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
(Prov 12:18, NIV)
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This is so spot-on!
ReplyDeleteJust super!
So true! I do the same with my kids. They must apologize and mean it or it is not a resolved issue. I expect the same out of adults (and myself). I mean it when I apologize. We do need to focus more on doing what we say we will, and putting the meaning behind our words.
ReplyDeleteShannon at The Warrior Muse
This is so true :) Thank you for making me think about what it is I say- and if they are just hollow words or not!
ReplyDeleteThere are so many ways to communicate in our age that talk has become especially cheap. Sometimes we are talking to be talking without knowing whether or not anyone is really listening.
ReplyDeleteLee
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