Repentance

* Ask yourself this question & think about it before reading any further: If life got really good, what would it look like?

 

Church today was amazing. Sunday school was amazing, worship was amazing, and the sermon was amazing. During the sermon, Jim talked about repentance (Mark 1:9-15). Normally I wouldn’t think a sermon about repentance was amazing. I always get uncomfortable reading or hearing about repentance because the idea of feeling bad about everything I do just doesn’t sound very enjoyable to me. So when Jim said, “Does repenting mean feeling bad? No,” it caught my attention. He went on to explain that there are two different kinds of sorrow–Godly sorrow and worldly sorrow. Godly sorrow leads to repentance which leads to change; worldly sorrow doesn’t bring about change. Feeling bad is something, but it’s not enough. Feeling bad is a sign that something is wrong, but a lot of people never seek help or do anything differently as a result of feeling bad. Basically, we shouldn’t feel like we’re doing something right by feeling bad, or as Jim put it, “Don’t feel good about feeling bad.” 

God wants to be the Lord of your life. He desires us to recognize who He is, to change, and to give Him glory by living our lives accordingly, not just asking for help in certain parts of our lives or at certain times. Living for God’s Kingdom changes everything we think and do; has God’s reign in your life changed what you think and do? Or are you still following your own way of thinking and behaving? God doesn’t forget His plan or purpose in the midst of your rebellion; is God’s will and purpose being worked out in your life or are you busy building your own kingdom by doing what only makes you happy? 

The whole American idea of retirement is spending the last years of your life enjoying the little kingdom you’ve built and glorifying yourself. Is that really what you want to do with the last years before you die and come face to face with God? What are you going to say to God when He asks you to explain what you did for His Kingdom versus what you did for yours? The Bible instructs us to do two things: repent & believe.

– Repent of yourself; even the good things we do are for selfish reasons. We don’t even know how far our good things are from the will of God. We’re not good people who occasionally do bad things; we are all broken, chasing our own dreams, following our own agendas, and completely disregarding God’s purpose most of the time. In this way, we are all lost until we accept the fact that we need a Savior, and Jesus is it.

– Believe the Good News; even though you’re undeserving, God loves you anyway. He’s worth more than anything the world can give you.

..so after reading all of that, ask yourself this question again: If life got really good, what would it look like?