Godly regret is an all-consuming sadness that pays a visit and pervades our soul when we fall short of the Lord’s standard. It drops a repenting believer to their knees and uncorks a flood of tears tinged with grief.
Real regret, Godly regret, is GOOD because the pain it triggers becomes a “REPENTANCE ALERT.”
That alert should prompt us to ask these questions:
- Does my repentance produce a change in my heart that renounces the wrong way and commits to going the right way?
- Have I remembered that the repentant path of Godly regret has nothing to do with sinless perfection and everything to do with selfless surrender?
- Do I have any regrets that should be looked at today with this GODLY vs WORLDLY difference in mind?
Repentance is one of God’s faith pillars. If we don’t enter that unlocked door to receive the freedom waiting on the other side, we are frozen in place and held back from getting around that wall of guilt to experience God’s joy.
We feel so bad that we try to lock away our sins and bad thoughts in a dark, dirty, unspeakable chamber. We look at conviction of sin as a prison sentence with the door locked and the key thrown away to convict us forever with no chance of parole.
When we repent, we come face to face with our helplessness and unworthiness. The act of repentance itself is a gift from God propelling us forward to an unbridled and unencumbered faith. At that point we can stand taller and stride further with a new sense of joy.
“But if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing.” 1 John 1:9
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
What is in your life that you know is not pleasing to God?
MY PRAYER
Father God: As this Holy Week takes another step toward the event that changed the world, I am reminded that six days before the death of Jesus, his disciple-betrayer sat alone with his thoughts of evil greed that were gaining force and momentum by the minute. The last thing Judas had on his mind was sharing God’s love and serving others. That was the scene just six days out from the transfiguration on the Cross of Christ. It was a scene that prompts me to pray right now for discernment about what you think needs my repentance today. What you feel I need to walk away from today. And what you think I should do to serve the Kingdom of God. Only you know where my heart should be today. Only you know what is “worth it.” Only you know what is a “waste of time.” I pray for your full examination of every part of me to identify areas in need of my repentance today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
