Read 2 Timothy 2:22

Third grade teacher, Miss Ames, stood on the playground, arms folded and waiting patiently for Jonny to reply to her request. All he had to do was say he was sorry for pushing Sally down.  Begrudgingly, Jonny obliges with a halfhearted “Sorry” between his teeth.  He really wasn’t sorry and, in fact, was already planning his revenge!

We laugh at the scene, many books and movies have been made of the mischief of kids, but in reality, is it something to laugh at while as adults we do the same thing?  We do things we know we shouldn’t do, but, when it comes to confessing what we did to God, we just say a halfhearted “sorry” and then go on our merry little way, not sorry and possibly planning on doing it again.

Repent: a verb, to feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing or sin.  A change of heart and mind that brings one closer to God. It includes turning away from sin and turning to God for forgiveness, plus a sincere desire to obey His commandments.

Over and over in the Bible we are told to repent. Through the prophets, John the Baptist, Jesus and later the disciples, the plea is the same.

To receive all that God has in store for us, we need to repent. Turn from our ways and turn to God’s ways. But you might say, “I don’t disobey God!”  

Love your neighbor as yourself! Do you love your neighbor when you gossip about them?

Love the Lord God with all your heart, mind, and strength. Do you honor Him with your actions, your speech?  Do the people around you even know you are a Christian? Are they drawn to Jesus or pushed away through your example?

Do not steal! How about those taxes?

Do not covet.  Shall we check your Amazon account?

Greed, gluttony, promiscuity, pride…shall I go on? 

Just because other people might not see what you do in private, God does!  And every time you fall into temptation you take one step away from God. 

The good news is that:

NO MATTER HOW FAR YOU HAVE WALKED AWAY FROM GOD, THE RETURN TRIP IS ONLY ONE 180 DEGREE TURN AWAY!

You can’t change what you have already done, but you can let God direct your future path.  Repent and turn yourself around then “forgetting what is behind, and straining toward what is ahead,” that is how you win the race of life.  

“I am too far gone. My problem is too big,” you might say.  But remember the age-old question of “How do you eat an elephant?”  The answer is one bite at a time and you can tackle any problem that you SINCERELY want to change, one step at a time.  God will help you.  Through the Holy Spirit, He will give you the strength, knowledge and patience you need if you will repent and turn FROM sin and TOWARDS GOD!

What step do you need to take today? What problem do you want to take the first bite out of? Who’s going to keep you accountable in your repentance?

Pat Arnold

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ReGeneration is a ministry for people battling the storms of life. From emotional struggles to substance abuse, ReGen is a ministry for those who want to experience healing, recovery, community and accountability in the midst of their storms. Currently, ReGen meets on Tuesday nights (7p) at Grace Church in Wooster. We would LOVE to host you! Text “regen” to 3302649459 if you want more information or want to attend!