Ridgell's Originals

 The most common definition I hear about repentance is to be sorry.  Sorry for what you did that you shouldn't have.  Or sorry for you did not do that you should have.  That may be a fine starting point for repentance but it is very incomplete.  

Recently, you hear more talk that repentance is being sorry enough to turn around.  That is perhaps a better definition but it is still incomplete.

Regret and intention are important places to start your repentance.

But the truth is that repentance is an action verb.  It is work and it is hard.  

That is why we talk about repentance in my lastest book Wounds into Scars:  Turning your sin wounds into spiritual scars.

Here are just a couple of excepts to illustrate the point. 

Repentance is not just an emotion.  It is not just a change of attitude.  It is more than being sorry.

Real repentance is being sorry enough to quit, and start again with the life you want to live.  Sorry enough to change.  Sorry enough to live life in a different way.

And this quote from the Helpers section on repentance.

This is where the process gets difficult.  Repentance is where the strugglers start putting their confession into action.  It will require you to be wise, patient, understanding, forgiving, and to hold them accountable.

This is where the hard work begins.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM