Receiving forgiveness from God is spiritually, emotionally, and psychologically freeing. To know that the most significant power in the universe and the most complete love we will ever experience remains fully open to us is overwhelming. God does forgive us; we need to learn to forgive ourselves as well. Forgiveness from God erases all past sins and keeps us in that overwhelming love of God. Forgiveness is a divine act that we should accept as it frees our souls and keeps us in the right relationship with God or a state of righteousness. Righteousness or living correctly is the focus of what I desire to share today. Repentance is our spiritual response to God’s forgiveness. When we repent, we no longer have the sinful behavior that caused us to sin in the first place. True repentance is more than seeking God’s forgiveness. Repentance stops the thoughts and behaviors that caused us to sin. Repenting means we must pay attention to our physical urges, needs, and desires that draw us into whatever sins await us. We must also become psychologically aware of what the mind desires. The body and the mind both have their forms of addiction, desire, and unhealthy needs. In short, repentance means we must take a spiritual stance of watching over the mind and body to keep us from returning to our sins. I do not intend to get into a massive controversy over sin’s nature, but I want you to be aware that sin involves the entire person. The mind, body, and spirit are all interconnected and interdependent. Repentance must be an awareness of turning away from acts of sins with the entire person. At this point, I probably turned you all off from reading any further, but hang in there, friend. Righteous living is behaving as God acts or as God wants us to behave. Repentance is taking God’s forgiveness seriously and not following the same behavioral patterns that cause sin in the first place. The Hebrew word for repentance is teshuvah, which means return. The Greek word metanoia means removing what is behind your mind or perception. Two different languages with vastly unique cultures both derive similar understandings of repentance. Repentance is putting things behind you and not doing them again. Let me attempt to change your thought process or help you put old limiting beliefs behind you. Do not view repentance as a form of punishment or condemnation. Instead, look at repentance as a path to seeking spiritual well-being. We have physical sickness, and we seek wellness by getting better. We have angry and upsetting thoughts and seek emotional health by getting over our hissy fits. Repentance is the soul seeking health in God’s good grace. When we repent, we put the thoughts and actions of the sins behind us and try not to let them seep into our lives again. When we repent, we return to our natural state of physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being. Again, shame and guilt are optional on your part in the repentance process. Repentance helps us return home to God’s loving grace.
Spiritual Disciplines-Prayers of Repentance and Forgiveness
