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Repentance



During the Season of Lent, the emphasis of the early church was of repentance, fasting, prayer and giving alms. This was all to prepare for the Easter Celebration. So let's look at the emphasis on repentance.

Repentance is simply a change of direction of the heart. If you are living solely for yourself and your own pleasure, God is calling you to repent or change that direction and head towards Him. There are many places where repentance is emphasized in scripture.

Jonah (tiny little book in the Old Testament)

Jonah was a prophet who was tasked by God to deliver a message to the city of Nineveh. The message was to give them a choice. Repent from their wicked ways or face judgment and destruction. Jonah was a somewhat unwilling prophet, but he finally realized how important the message was to God. The message was delivered and the city changed. God is serious about the message of repentance, but it has to sink into our hearts before it can change anyone around us.

John the Baptist. We call him “the baptist.” Not that he ever shook the preacher's hand in a Baptist church ;-)

When God wanted to give the nation of Israel a birth announcement about His coming Son, he sent John ahead to “prepare the way” (Mark chapter 1). The main point in his message was to repent and be baptized. Crowds went into the wilderness where John lived to hear this message and be baptized in the Jordan river. Remember, John wasn't just preaching to heathen, he was preaching to Israel and the House of God. This message of repentance was so important that it was tied to the coming of the Messiah! 


As we observe Lent to prepare our hearts for Easter, we too should consider repentance. Even the holiest of Saints can admit to detours in our path to God. We should take time to examine our hearts and ask God to help us identify places in our lives that don't line up with the direction He has for us. Repentance will put us back on track and “Prepare the Way” for the Resurrection Celebration at Easter.

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