His goodness will change your mind
Romans 2:4 (NKJV)
Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
Here's a lovely little nugget of truth to start the day with. It is the goodness of God that leads a person to repentance. Think about that. It's God's goodness that causes true repentance in our lives and not the use of fear, shame or guilt.
What is Repentance?
The New Testament word used here for repentance is also the one most commonly used throughout the New Testament. It is the Greek word metanoia, which means "to change one's mind or thinking"! This is a very different meaning to the Old Testament Hebrew word used for repentance: nacham which means "to be mournfully sorrowful".
The type of repentance that God wants from us is the New Testament type. Yes, we may feel sorrowful when we have done something wrong but it should not stop there. We need to move on to do something about it by daring to change the way we think. Why? Because, it is when we change the way we think that we will change the way we live in a way that lasts.
A sorrowful response needs to be the porch way or entrance way into something much larger – namely a change of thinking toward that specific area of our life being highlighted by God at that moment.
What should it be that inspires us to "repent" to "change our thinking"? According to Romans 2:4 it is the goodness or kindness of God. Wow, imagine that God remains so good and kind toward us that, in response, we desire to change our thinking to bring it into alignment with His truth and His ways for our lives.
Today, don't have the expectation of fear, shame, and guilt coming from your Heavenly Father; rather a never-ending waterfall of His goodness and mercy. When it comes let it cause repentance that changes you beyond a momentary emotional response. Respond to His goodness with metanoia changing the way you think, because then you will change the way you live!
May you enjoy another day of God's goodness showered upon you. That'll change you!
Andy
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