For a long time, I did not understand what repenting was. For a time, I though "to repent" was to say I'm sorry and move on. But as I learned, repentance is so much more than just mouthing the words I'm sorry.
I'm sure everyone has friends who, when they realized they have hurt you, come to you and apologize. Or even more common, they say they're sorry through email, phone, text, gosh the list does not end. Yet after they've said sorry, it's not even a week before they go back to what they did before and make the mistake again. Sad.
THAT is NOT repentance.
Believers.org says, "The word translated repent in English New Testaments is the Greek word metanoeo... - - - Bullinger's Dictionary says metanoeo means, "to perceive afterwards, hence, to change one's mind and purpose. This change is always for the better, and denotes a change of moral thought and reflection; not merely to repent of, nor to forsake sin, but to change one's mind and apprehensions regarding it. Metanoeo denotes to reform, to have a genuine change of heart and life from worse to better."
SO. To repent is to TURN from your old ways. It's actually a commitment to turn 180 degrees from your sin. It's an attitude. It's ACTION, not just words. To repent is to change your thoughts about sin. Yeah. It's an intense undertaking. It's a serious thing, repenting to the Lord.... He wants to be able to change you and mold you in order for you to better serve Him and His kingdom. But repentance must happen first. You must be willing to die to your old self and leave all the old sin behind, and you must be firm in your decision to look only at the Lord and what He knows is best for you.
But how does that even work considering that even though we are now Christians living for Jesus in all we do, we are still human beings and so are still struggling with the desires of this world. It's still fact. We will sin. We can't NOT sin. BUT, YET, HOWEVER, :D Because of our commitment to Christ, if we are sincere in our repentance to Him, He will help us!!!!!!
1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
He provides the way out. It's our choice to take that way out or not. I have been at this point many times in my life. I've seen the ways out, and chosen not to take them. And I always end up reaping the consequences and wishing I had not done the things I choose to do. But the Lord always provided ways out, and I took them after realizing what I had done had caused my Lord so much pain. And by repenting sincerely, I have turned from my old ways and the Lord has helped me to stay on His path. I don't entirely not think about doing the same things again of course (since we're only human), but I know that the Lord will continue to be by my side showing me what awesome things He has done, and distracting me from what useless stuff I could do that would mean nothing and would only make me feel terrible.
And to be distracted by God is amazing. Just saying. :)
Repent then, and let God work through you to show you what awesome stuff He has in store for your life!
