Band aid or surgery??...

Recently I was having a conversation with someone about repentance. What does true repentance really mean? Repentance is a change of heart, thought and action ... genuine Godly sorrow as we see our sin before holy God...

It's a subject most of us know from our own experience, I know I do! When I was a child, I had a 'besetting sin'... and it became a pattern in my life. I would get caught, and tearfully confess and apologize, it was like putting a 'band aid' over the sin, and going on...relieved that it was 'over' ...

Much later, as an adult... that very besetting sin, was something God dealt with in my life, and trust me... it was NOT a band aid fix! When God wants something out of our life that doesn't belong, He does it with His surgical skills. It is painful... but it is complete! He wants that sin removed from His child, so He takes us through His process, to be sure He 'gets it all'!

Repentance begins with obedience, a desire to do it God's way... We are convicted by our sin, we confess our sin, and we ask His forgiveness, we want that area in our life to be changed and healed. As I confessed my sin and repented (turned away from), He reminded me of things that needed to be restored and made right. I had many things from the past years to make right. I had letters to write, people to confront and ask forgiveness from, and restitution to be made. This process went on for a period of time...

The old pattern of sin was being changed in my life... As a child, I thought I was 'getting away with it'. Oh the foolishness of trying to do it on our own or thinking God may not see. (It reminds me of a friend who says her husband sneaks potato chips out of the pantry at night, and he thinks as long as she doesn't see him... it doesn't count!)

As an adult... I began to desire to know God in a deeper way. God is holy, and we don't get to first base with Him unless we get honest with ourselves, and with Him...

When genuine repentance comes, for an ingrained pattern of sin in our lives, .... the layers of sin are peeled off like an onion, one at a time, until the healing is complete, and in that process... God forgives, restores and makes strong the very thing that was the weakest. It is ALL His work, and it is real and lasting.

My 'band aid' attempts and efforts were worthless. The root problem was not removed and healed until I came to Him in complete honesty, willing to do whatever He asked...HE forgave and changed my life ... HIS way!

I am so thankful today, many years later, that this area of my life was forgiven and healed. When you do it God's way, it gets done right, and YOU. NEVER. WANT. TO . re-visit that area of sin again! It doesn't mean we never sin again, we do... I do, but when God forgave me, He also healed me from the inside out... It's a story I share over and over... it's part of His story in my life. He takes the weakest and most sinful areas and makes them strong. Nothing...NOTHING is impossible for God!

I've been reading ALL OF GRACE, by Spurgeon. Here's what he says:

"Repentance grows as faith grows"...

"Both forgiveness & repentance flow from the same source"...

"Jesus has both ready to freely give us"...

Painful though it may be... I'll take surgery at the hand of Jesus anyday, rather than a 'band aid', which only touches the surface and hides the deeper problem. The great thing is... we are NOT EVER beyond His ability to forgive, heal and change!

Amazing grace!