Readings for today: Jeremiah 4-6, Psalms 14
What’s your first thought when you hear the word, “repentance?” I bet it has something to do with personal confession. Asking for forgiveness. Saying you are sorry for something you have done. Feeling bad about a sin you committed. Something like that. Certainly there is an aspect to repentance that is personal. It definitely involves sorrow over sin and asking for forgiveness and confession to God or to those we’ve hurt along the way. It also takes the next step to effect a change in behavior. You may have heard the word literally means “turn around.” Make a U-turn. Go the opposite way. Refuse to continue walking in the path of sinners. I love all of this about repentance but Jeremiah introduces yet another aspect to it in our reading today. The impact of repentance on others.
“If you return, Israel — this is the Lord’s declaration — you will return to me, if you remove your abhorrent idols from my presence and do not waver, then you can swear, “As the Lord lives,” in truth, justice, and righteousness, and then the nations will be blessed by him and will boast in him.” (Jeremiah 4:1-2 CSB) Israel’s “return” is another way of calling Israel to “repent.” They have wandered far from the Lord and He is calling them back home through the prophet Jeremiah. As if to sweeten the deal, God makes Israel a promise. If they return in faith to God, if they will return in truth and justice and righteousness, then God will use their repentance to bless the nations surrounding them and they, in turn, will also come to saving faith. The point God is trying to make here is that repentance is a powerful witness. It’s a demonstration of the grace of God in action. It shows the world what true, humble faith looks like and it is incredibly compelling.
As a pastor, I’ve been given the opportunity to speak across the nation and around the world. One of the things I always do when I am speaking to a new group of people is share my testimony. I want them to know a bit of my story and I always make sure to share the many times God has called me to repentance. The response I get when I share openly and vulnerably about my own struggles with sin is powerful. People feel drawn to those who are authentic and humble and who don’t pretend to have all the answers. Repentance opens doors that might otherwise remain closed. It softens hearts. It draws people in rather than push them away. It levels the playing field. It’s almost like God has hard-wired human beings to respond to it.
When was the last time you shared your testimony? Openly? Honestly? Authentically? When was the last time you were vulnerable with another person about your own struggles with sin and how the Holy Spirit has helped you along the way? Have you ever shared your story with another person? Friends, sharing about our struggles isn’t embarrassing or shameful if it points people to Christ. Sharing about the difficulties we’ve had in life or our “thorns in the flesh” and how God has met us and sustained us and transformed us along the way gives people hope that it can happen to them. Humbling ourselves, confessing our sin, and asking for forgiveness builds deep intimacy as we relate to other people which makes sharing our faith even more compelling and profound. Let me encourage you to begin sharing your story with others today!
Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 7-9, Psalms 15