Today, we are going to look at diagram #5, a new diagram for most of you. This diagram is about repentence. What is repentance? Repentance is turning away from one direction and going in the opposite direction. For example, if you have come to the realization that you have been using drinking to numb the hurt of your harsh childhood and it is not working, you might come to the decision to stop. There may be an even deeper realization that there has got to be something better, a way to get through and past this pain. There is a God who says He sent His son into the world to save the world, not condemn the world. This God offers us complete 100% love, sees us as 100% worthy and valuable, who we are is 100% acceptable to Him, offers us 100% security in Him. Who is this God?? The Creator, and not the “the creator”, YOUR creator, my creator. He designed everything about us – our physical attributes, our personality, our skills, down to our shoe size and how many hairs we have on our head.
And this is the God that we have offended by ignoring Him with our actions, attitudes, behaviors, and relationships. We wanted full control over our lives and have God available when we need him (and by the way, you have probably noticed that God does not work that way).
Repentance is recognizing that this is wrong, wanting to change and place God in control. Repentance is specific to those actions, attitudes, behaviors, and relationships that you want to change. For example, I will no longer drink alcohol, or smoke cigarettes, or have extra-marital affairs. Repentance could also include selfishness, jealousy, anger, bad attitude, even walking away from bad relationships. There are many things you can turn away from.
In this life journey that you are on, there are times that you need to leave something behind in order to move forward. Sometimes, dragging your old stuff along with you slows you down and you do not get anywhere. Repentance is more than just leaving something behind, it is a transforming movement away from the bad things we do, turning toward and with the goodness of God.
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