Not only is this the humble request of a person seeking reconciliation, it is a biblical imperative that, as Christians, we must regularly practice. As Paul states in Colossians,
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
(Colossians 3:12-13 ESV)
Give thought to some of the reasons we avoid admitting that we may have responded sinfully when sinned against in the past:
Pride
Stubbornness
Fear
Foolishness
Misplaced Desires
Seeking forgiveness is not easy. It is not a pleasant thing to acknowledge your faults and failures. It is harder still to go to someone and humbly ask that they forgive you for your sin. But consider what our Heavenly Father has done. He has put forth his only Son to bear the punishment for our sin, so that we might be forgiven and walk in newness of life. There is true freedom in Christ, and no other. There is freedom from the guilt and shame of sin because Jesus Christ was made to be sin on our behalf.
As Rev. Viars states, "often this simple act of humble obedience [seeking forgiveness] leads to the beginning of a restored relationship." It's not easy, but the results can be magnificent.
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