Sweet Repentance Part 2

So much for sneaking over here and telling the rest of what I learned the next day... I got all busified this week (let's not even mention my Chipotle addiction) and just never could settle down to write part two. Now, it's almost time to move on to the next week, but I first wanted to at least leave you the thing that stood out to me from chapter 4.

It's simple, really. Repentance begins when we 'agree with God' (thanks, Bran! great phrase) that what we're doing is sin. Then, and only then, He can take the need to do that sin from you, and free you up to turn and start following Him. As long as we are unwilling to recognize and admit that our ungodly 'struggles' and 'idiosyncrasies' and 'habits' and 'quirks' and are sin, then we are never going to be able to repent.

So, this week, I've made it a point to consciously call a spade a spade- to call my 'shortcomings' what they are- and I am amazed at how much easier it is to repent!

Here's a word picture (since that's how I think):

Imagine I made you a meal at my house. I call it My Famous Secret Recipe and you dig in. "MMMMMM" you might say, "This is delicious. I don't know if I will ever be able to put down this fork! What's it called?"

If I were to then say (which I would never do- remember this is a parable) "Oh, I call it My Famous Secret Recipe but it's actually Deep Fried Rat with Urine Sauce."... it would not be a problem for you to put down your fork at all! The flavor wouldn't actually change, but your ability to continue partaking would- don't you think? By a mere name change, the taste became undesirable!

I'm getting the same effect by calling sin for what it is this week. Last night, I was telling my friend some information~ "OOOOh! I have something juicy to tell you!" I said out loud. Immediately after,in my heart, I told myself, Wait a minute...this is gossip. But I still wanted to tell it! Man, I thought, how is gossip still a struggle for me? Then, I heard that key word, struggle. By using that word, I was giving myself permission to tell that story. I was acting like stopping at this point was too hard by merely calling gossip a struggle.

Instead, I said out loud, "You know what? There is no value in telling you this. It is gossip and gossip is sin." After that, the temptation was gone. The sin was identified. Not only did I render myself unable to tell the story, I lost all desire to tell it! what a wonderful release! Simple repentance, and I was able to go on without that sick feeling I always get when I gossip. Freedom! Whooo Hoooo! What a gift!


You see, I'm learning that repentance isn't something you have to do when you sin. It's something you get to do because you are loved by God. That's amazing to me....

next up, Grace (oh, how I love this study!)

Create in me a clean heart, O God
And renew a right spirit within me
Psalm 51:10