Hey, Carpool Crew. Happy Saturday. I hope your weekend is off to a great start. I'm Pastor Justin. Let me ask you a quick question. Have you ever been in a fight where both of you were mad, both of you knew you should make up, and both of you were standing there waiting for the other person to go first? That standoff where no one wants to be the first to apologize can drag on for hours, sometimes days. So today, let's talk about how to break it. Let's jump in with the one thing I want you to remember for the ride: being the first to say sorry is a brave godlike move. Listen to this from Colossians chapter three, verse thirteen. It says, "Bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive." Here's what's amazing about that. God didn't wait for us to fix everything and come crawling back. He made the first move toward us. So when you go first, you're acting just like Him. Think about that. Going first feels like losing, doesn't it? Like the other person wins if you apologize first. But it's actually the opposite. Going first takes the most courage in the room. The brave one isn't the one who holds out the longest, it's the one who walks over first. If Jesus were sitting out there by the fence with you or hanging out in the car, I think He'd say, "I know you're waiting for them to come to you. Be the brave one. Go first. That's exactly what I did for you, and I'll be right there with you when you go." So imagine a summer afternoon, and you and your friend just had it out over some game, and now it's gone all quiet and cold between you. You're on your side of the yard, and they are on theirs, and everything in you wants to wait them out. But you take a breath, you walk across the yard, and you say, "Hey, I'm sorry. I don't wanna fight about this anymore." And almost always, the second you go first, the wall comes down on their side too. So here's a couple things you could try. First, if there's somebody you're in a cold standoff with right now, be the one who goes first and says sorry. Just trust me on this. It'll go great. Second, when going first feels too hard, whisper one easy sentence: "God, you went first for me. Help me go first now." And third, here's a big one. Ask yourself, "Am I waiting to win, or am I willing to be the brave one who makes the first move to apologize?" Now, let's go back to that one thing I wanted you to remember for the ride. Being the first to say sorry is a brave God-like move. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. And hey, Carpool Crew, need something fun to talk about on the drive? We have a deck of conversation starter cards on carpoolingwithjesus.com. Just go there and click Carpool Crew, and you'll see a digital card deck filled with awesome questions to pass the time. Now before you go, let's answer this question together. Is there anyone you need to go first with and apologize to this week? I'll see you later, Carpool Crew. Have a good one.
