I blinked in shocked surprise as the toy—hurled in frustration by my child—connected with my face. For a moment I was speechless. Then, like a dam buckling and bursting, my mouth poured forth a torrent of furious words: "We do NOT throw things at people! That type of behavior is unacceptable, do you understand me?!"
As I stormed out of the room and down the hallway, anger quickly mutated into self-condemnation. I replayed the harshness of my voice like a broken record. I reproached my failure to respond rather than react. I reprimanded myself for disciplining my son in anger rather than in love.
Yet none of these responses were productive. All of my over-analyzing and introspection couldn't change what I'd done. It only served to ensnare me in guilt and repress the one response I desperately needed: confession and repentance.
To our modern ears, confession can sound outdated. Unnecessary. It is rarely our first response to sin, and often merely an afterthought. We would much rather blame others or focus on externals like behavior modification than turn to God in our weakest, rawest moments.
But such moments are pivotal. Sin is an access point for the enemy, and it is the one thing that can come between us and God. If we are going to deal with our sin, confession and repentance is the only right response.
What does confession and repentance look like? Here are four steps to consider the next time you're struggling with your sin:
- Relax! We need to be comfortable practicing confession and repentance. Take a look at this verse from Jesus' story of the prodigal son: "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him (Lk. 15:20)." This is a picture of how our Heavenly Father greets us when we leave behind our sinful ways and return to him!
- Repent. The word repent in Hebrew translates into "a strong turning to a new course of action" (The New Strong's Concordance). When we repent, we turn away from our sin and toward God. In doing so, we supernaturally exchange our sinful behaviors, responses, attitudes, and actions for forgiveness and a purified heart. Try this simple prayer: "Lord, I give you my sin. I'm turning to you now—please cleanse me, help me receive your forgiveness, and stay on the path of right living and right relationship with you!"
- Restore. "'Return to me,' declares the Lord Almighty, 'and I will return to you...' (Zech. 1:3)." Repentance restores our intimacy with God as we renounce our pride, confess our sin and return to walking rightly with God. It allows God to transform us from the inside-out!
- ...and Repeat! "The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand (Ps. 37:23-24, emphasis mine)." In all honesty, we will stumble in sin. It is a fact of living in the tension of the Already and Not Yet of the kingdom. We need to remember confession and repentance are a vital part of the life-long process of sanctification.
Come close to Me. Let's face this together. This is our invitation from a God who knows our battles and has already determined the outcome. As we turn to God more and more, we begin to understand his Father-heart for us. We learn how to trust and lean in humble dependence on him when we're at our weakest. And our hearts come to rest securely in his forgiveness, mercy, and grace!
Reflection Questions
- What keeps you from turning to God when you sin? Guilt? Fear? Pride?
- In 2 Corinthians 12:8, Paul pleads with God to remove a "thorn in his flesh". The Lord's response was, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness (v.9)". How does the sufficiency of God's grace impact your perspective on your struggles with sin?