Sorry About That!

Perhaps you can picture the scene played out again and again within the homes of many with small children. Two young siblings, a brother and sister, playing well together until the brother wants what the sister has. He hits her and pushes here down as he grabs the toy away, causing her to go crying to Mommy. Brother is then told to tell Sister he is sorry. “I’m sorry, Sister.” Then back to playing they go until the very same thing happens again only a few moments later.

“I’m sorry.” Are those words which are too easily said, not just by small children, but by the rest of us as well? How often have our actions affected another and our response was simply “Sorry ’bout that” while we rushed on as if nothing ever happened? And even more so, what is the depth of the sorrow when we are apologizing to God? It may be difficult for us to detect how sincere others are, but God is able to clearly perceive the genuineness (or lack thereof) of our sorrow.

Someone has said, “To grieve over sin is one thing; to repent is another.” In other words, what kind of action does the sorrow prompt in our life?

Paul, writing to the church at Corinth, contrasted two kinds of sorrow.
“For GODLY GRIEF PRODUCES A REPENTANCE THAT LEADS TO SALVATION WITHOUT REGRET, whereas worldly grief produces death.” ( 2 Corinthians 7:10 ESV)

The New Living Translation reads: “ For God can use sorrow in our lives to help us turn away from sin and seek salvation. We will never regret that kind of sorrow. But sorrow without repentance is the kind that results in death.” [NLT, 1997, Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House]

I have often contrasted these two by simply stating that worldly sorrow is just being sorry for having been caught (jails being filled with such folk) while GODLY SORROW (or grief) goes deep enough to move one toward A GENUINE CHANGE of direction (REPENTANCE) in life. Not just words being said. Not just saying what might be expected. Rather than regretting having been caught, there can be rejoicing in having clearly seen what needed to be TURNED AWAY FROM so that salvation could be ours!

May we always strive to maintain a GENUINE PENITENT SPIRIT before God, that by His wonderful work of forgiveness and renewal we can be freed from regret and separation from Him. God is always ready to accept our sincere apology as we TURN OUR HEARTS BACK toward Him.

Have a great day KNOWING AUTHENTIC APOLOGY ACCEPTED!
Carl

See other teEn-MAIL on Repentance