The Power of True Repentance
Monday, September 2
The Power of True Repentance
In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away! Luke 15:7
Recently, I heard a story about a man who was standing in line at a busy airport check-in desk. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his right heel. The woman behind him had accidentally pushed her heavy luggage trolley into his foot. She was immediately apologetic, saying, “Oh, I’m SO sorry!” The man smiled and reassured her that it was okay, telling her not to worry about it.
A few minutes later, he felt an even bigger pain in the same spot. He turned around to see that it was the same woman who had run into him again with her trolley. Once again, she quickly apologized, saying, “Oh, I’m so sorry. It was an accident. I’m really sorry.” This time, the man responded with a little less warmth, simply grunting, “OK.”
But just a few minutes later, the woman ran her trolley hard into his heel a third time. “Sorry! Sorry! I’m so sorry,” she exclaimed. The man, gathering all the patience he could muster, finally replied, “I don’t want you to be sorry. I want you to stop doing it!”
This story perfectly illustrates the difference between remorse and repentance. The woman felt genuine remorse each time she caused the man pain, but her apologies did not lead to any change in her actions. She continued to do the very thing she was sorry for.
This is often how we approach our relationship with God. We recognize when we’ve done wrong, and we feel sorry for it. We might even apologize to God repeatedly. But without a change in our actions, our apologies are merely expressions of remorse. What God desires from us is repentance—a true change of heart and mind that leads to transformed behavior.
Repentance, in its truest form, means to change our way of thinking, which then leads to a change in how we live. God doesn’t just want our apologies; He wants our transformation. When we continue in harmful patterns and simply say “sorry,” it’s as if God is gently telling us, “I don’t want you to be sorry. I want you to seek Me and rely on my strength to guide you so that you stop doing it.” True repentance involves more than just words; it requires action. It’s a call to live differently, to produce fruit that reflects a changed heart.
Today, I invite you to take a moment to reflect on areas of your life where you’ve felt remorse but haven’t made a change. Ask God to help you move from mere apologies to true repentance. What steps can you take today to align your actions with your faith?
Prayer for today: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your patience with me. I ask for Your help in moving beyond just feeling sorry for my sins. Give me the strength and the will to truly repent, to change my thinking and my actions so that they align with Your will. Help me to produce fruit that reflects a heart transformed by Your grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen