The Practice of Repentance

The word "repentance" literally means to change your mind, but it implies much more. Genuine repentance involves recognizing you were going the wrong way, stopping, turning around, and walking in a different direction. It's not just regret over getting caught or sorrow over consequences. It's a fundamental reorientation of your life away from what you were doing and toward what's right.

This is hard. It requires honesty about what you've done, humility to admit you were wrong, and courage to change course.

What Repentance Is Not

• Just feeling bad: Guilt without change isn't repentance
• Making excuses: "I'm sorry, but..." isn't repentance
• Promising to try harder: Effort alone isn't transformation
• Being sorry you got caught: That's just regret over consequences
• A one-time event: Repentance is often a daily practice

If you're truly repentant, it will show in your actions. Not immediately perfect, but genuinely different. The direction of your life changes. That's how you know it's real.

Elements of True Repentance

Recognition: Seeing clearly what you've done and its impact.

Ownership: Taking full responsibility without excuse or blame.

Sorrow: Genuine grief over the sin itself, not just the consequences.

Confession: Admitting the wrong to God and those affected.

Change: Actually living differently going forward.

Restitution: Making amends where possible.

The Fruit of Repentance

Real repentance produces real change. Over time, patterns shift. Old habits weaken. New ways of living take root. This doesn't happen overnight, and it often requires ongoing effort and accountability. But if there's no change at all, there was no real repentance.

Your Action Steps

This week: Examine: Is there something you've felt guilty about but never truly repented of?

This month: Practice full ownership of a wrong you've committed. No excuses.

This quarter: Evaluate: Where do you see genuine change in areas you've repented of?