The Reading Today
• Daily Theme: Dropping Our Excuses, Trusting in Grace, and the Relief of True Forgiveness
• Source Material: "On Forgiveness" (The Weight of Glory)
• Source Material: "On Forgiveness" (The Weight of Glory)
My Reflection
Today’s passage continues our exploration of forgiveness and strikes a very personal chord. When I read Lewis’s words today, I immediately saw my own attitude reflected back at me. Why are we so desperate to offer "extenuating circumstances"? I think the reason so many of us feel the need to meticulously explain our behaviour—to present the "what you need to know" alongside our apology—is rooted in a deep-seated fear or disbelief that we can ever be truly forgiven without a caveat.
Repentance is a fiercely difficult act, so we instinctively try to soften the blow and make the process easier for ourselves.
Lewis offers two profound remedies for this habit. The first is a deeply comforting thought: God already knows all of our real excuses, far better than we do. As Lewis beautifully suggests, we may one day have the delightful surprise of discovering we sinned far less than we thought because God factored in the circumstances we were unaware of. When we go to the doctor with a broken arm, we don't waste time explaining that our throat and eyes are fine; we simply present the broken bit. In the same way, we are only meant to bring the "inexcusable bit" to God.
The second remedy is simply trusting that true forgiveness exists. As Lewis writes:
"A great deal of our anxiety to make excuses comes from not really believing in it, from thinking that God will not take us to Him-self again unless He is satisfied that some sort of case can be made out in our favour. But that would not be forgiveness at all."
Focusing purely on the exact thing we need forgiveness for, without wrapping our contrition in a defensive layer of excuses, can feel terrifying. It requires us to look steadily at the unvarnished truth of our actions. But trusting that we have been forgiven—and extending that same grace to ourselves—is the only way to finally step out of the darkness and into the light.
Today’s passage continues our exploration of forgiveness and strikes a very personal chord. When I read Lewis’s words today, I immediately saw my own attitude reflected back at me. Why are we so desperate to offer "extenuating circumstances"? I think the reason so many of us feel the need to meticulously explain our behaviour—to present the "what you need to know" alongside our apology—is rooted in a deep-seated fear or disbelief that we can ever be truly forgiven without a caveat.
Repentance is a fiercely difficult act, so we instinctively try to soften the blow and make the process easier for ourselves.
Lewis offers two profound remedies for this habit. The first is a deeply comforting thought: God already knows all of our real excuses, far better than we do. As Lewis beautifully suggests, we may one day have the delightful surprise of discovering we sinned far less than we thought because God factored in the circumstances we were unaware of. When we go to the doctor with a broken arm, we don't waste time explaining that our throat and eyes are fine; we simply present the broken bit. In the same way, we are only meant to bring the "inexcusable bit" to God.
The second remedy is simply trusting that true forgiveness exists. As Lewis writes:
"A great deal of our anxiety to make excuses comes from not really believing in it, from thinking that God will not take us to Him-self again unless He is satisfied that some sort of case can be made out in our favour. But that would not be forgiveness at all."
Focusing purely on the exact thing we need forgiveness for, without wrapping our contrition in a defensive layer of excuses, can feel terrifying. It requires us to look steadily at the unvarnished truth of our actions. But trusting that we have been forgiven—and extending that same grace to ourselves—is the only way to finally step out of the darkness and into the light.
Why This Matters
When we treat forgiveness like a courtroom where we must build a case in our favour, we miss the radical, unearned nature of grace. True absolution requires vulnerability, not a clever defence.
My Action for Today
Today, if I need to make amends for a mistake, large or small, I will simply admit the fault without adding a "but..." or attempting to justify my behaviour.
Today, if I need to make amends for a mistake, large or small, I will simply admit the fault without adding a "but..." or attempting to justify my behaviour.
Reader Question
Why do you think it feels so scary to apologise without offering any excuses or extenuating circumstances?
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