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Repentance

No to the world, yes to God.

Repentance is the first step in the long journey of Christian faith. It starts with the realization that we are or have been wrong about allowing the world to dictate our values, desires, and lifestyle. It is acknowledging that we cannot play god in our own lives and choosing to submit ourselves to our creator to work out His purpose in us.

Look up the meaning of the word repentance and you will find that it is both a feeling and an action. When we repent, we feel regret, contrite about our actions or thoughts, and, in many cases, this is accompanied by a public declaration to make it more meaningful. However, repentance needs to be active and continuous for us to progress in our faith.

A simple way to put it is, repentance is saying no to the world and saying yes to God. Emotion is not enough to sustain repentance; realizing the depth of our sinful nature should make us remorseful, but, ultimately, it should drive us to God who is able to forgive and rescue us from our sin. If we feel bad momentarily then turn back to our old ways, it is the same as looking at oneself in a mirror, realizing how horrible we look, and then walking away and completely forgetting what we saw. (James 1: 23-24 NLT).

Repentance is also not a one off affair. It needs to be continuous for us to succeed in our faith. How amazing would it be if at the initial point of repentance, we are immediately transported straight to heaven? Then we would not have to worry about our human nature and innate tendency to sin. Instead, we continue to live here on earth encountering and fighting against some of the very things we have renounced. It is inevitable that we will stumble, and all believers, no matter how long they have been on this journey, have stumbled. (Romans 3:23) But we are not without help, God has given us His Spirit to empower us to overcome sin. He also has given us a fresh batch of steadfast love and mercy every morning. He invites us to come boldly to Him to receive the help we need to live a life free of sin. (Hebrews 4: 14-16).

Make no mistake, it is a tough process. The continuous act of repentance tears us away from bad habits, friends, environments, and ways of thinking. Sometimes it feels like we are losing everything we are comfortable with and everything we know. But we must keep our eye on the prize which is a life of holiness and a relationship with Jesus. As the saying goes, nothing good or worthwhile comes easy. Every step away from the world is a step towards a fruitful and rewarding life with God here on earth and in eternity. He is absolutely worth it!