Repentance
I remember a young man saying that he had experienced a remarkable change in his life. He said that he had made a 360 degree turn around. There was a quiet pause in the room and then everyone began to laugh. Finally, someone said 360 degrees would have put you right back where you started.
Of course, the young man meant to say he had made a 180 degree turn around. That’s what repentance is about. It’s turning around and a moving in the other direction. But how do we avoid winding up in the place the young man described, who mistakenly said 360 degrees instead of 180 degrees?
It is somewhat of a Freudian slip of the tongue since it is very easy to change our behaviors as act of our will, but in time we wind up returning to our old behaviors. We see this all the time with New Year’s resolutions related to diets and exercise. At times we are strong about such things and at other times we are not.
True repentance is a gift that can be received by making ourselves available. How do we make ourselves available? Attending worship, prayer, Bible study, Christian music, and giving ourselves in service are just a few of the ways.
Repentance is something that happens when we have an encounter with Jesus. It is rarely if ever simply an act of the will. Zacchaeus had a direct encounter with Jesus and changed his ways. The Prodigal Son “came to himself” in the middle of a desperate situation and returned home.
It is an appropriate prayer during Lent to ask the Lord for an encounter or experience with Him that redirects our heart’s journey. With His power and influence, our 180-degree turn will plot out for us a new destination with new priorities and goals. Otherwise, we are prone to making a 360 degree turn that lands us right back where we started.
Pastor Gary
