God Uses Conviction to Begin the Road to Repentance
One morning I was putting on my makeup when my youngest daughter, Riggin, who was three at the time, came slowly and sheepishly through the door of my room. I excitedly greeted her like I always did. But she had a funny look on her face, as though she had gotten caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
Her big blue eyes looked up at me while she said in a shaky voice, “I think something’s wrong with the fish.”
I was suddenly aware that her sleeves were wet up to her elbows! Stifling my laugh, I replied, “Why do you think there is something wrong with him?”
She explained, “Well, he’s kinda lying on top of the water.” Evidently our betta fish had met his demise.
Seeing the guilt all over her face and restraining a smile, I asked how it had happened. “I just wanted to pet him, Mommy!” Her truthful confession started her tears flowing. I reached down, picked her up, gave her a big hug, and told her I loved her. Her tender heart definitely needed to be reassured of my love. I then reminded her that he wasn’t the kind of pet to hold, even though he looked so cute and fat and squishy. She nodded her head and told me she was sorry. She was able to relax because her heart was at rest from the guilt she had been carrying.
We can all relate to Riggin. All of us have sinned. We know what that guilt feels like. It gnaws at us day and night. We can try to ignore it, blame someone else, or lie about it, but the guilt drapes over our hearts like a wet blanket, weighing us down.
But guilt can also be our friend. The Holy Spirit uses guilt to start us on the road to repentance, orchestrating circumstances through a sermon, a text from someone, a conversation, or something else to bring the truth to the forefront of our consciousness. When we finally bring our guilt to the Lord, like Riggin did with me, we may feel afraid to confess, embarrassed, teary, or ashamed, but the beauty of confession is that we are coming to the Lord, not running away or trying to hide what we have done.
Confession Brings Freedom and Restoration
The Lord wants us to confess exactly what it is we feel guilty about, not sugarcoat the truth or sweep our sin and failure under the rug of rationalization or self-defense. He already knows what we’ve done that has made us feel guilty. He wants to make sure we acknowledge what has produced the guilt, confess it to Him, and turn away from it. When we do this, God is faithful to pick us up, love us, and draw us closer to Himself than ever before!
The Road to Repentance Requires God’s Patience
The road to repentance is not necessarily quick, proving God’s amazing patience. The apostle Peter explained, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come
By Anne Graham Lotz & Rachel-Ruth Lotz Wright
