And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent. (Acts 17:30)
Imagine that you’re on a road trip heading to a faraway destination. While cruising, your GPS suddenly alerts you that you have been heading in the wrong direction for the last hour. What do you do? You don’t just apologize to the GPS and continue heading in the direction you are going; you make a U-turn and allow it to recalculate the route.
Repentance is like that—it’s not a fancy speech; it’s a detour. God is not impressed with your eloquence in prayer or apology; He’s into action. So, when we mess up (and trust me, we all do), we pivot. We say, “Oops, wrong exit,” and reroute our hearts toward His Word and will.
Think about David, Israel’s premier king. Although he did wonderful things for God, he made some huge mistakes. He committed adultery and then murdered a man to hide his sin. Yet, God called him “a man after mine own heart.” How is that possible? Because David knew how to repent when he messed up. When Nathan, the prophet, came to him and called him out on his sin, David didn’t make excuses. He fell down, put his face in the dust, and with tears, repented, asking what he needed to do to go forward.
1 John 1:9 tells us we must acknowledge and confess. Instead, Christians often make excuses and express. They tell God why it’s okay for them to sin. They make excuses about why they haven’t followed Him. No more excuses. It’s time to acknowledge the wrong and make a U-turn to return to God’s path for your life.
Practical Application
When we miss it, don’t wait. Acknowledge the sin. Maybe it was an attitude, a harsh word, a hidden grudge, or a selfish act. Repentance isn’t just something we say; it’s a heart shift and a direction changer.
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