There Are Two Kinds Of Sorry

Most people think feeling terrible about something is the same as being done with it.

It makes sense. You snapped at your kid again, or you had the drink you promised yourself you weren't having.

You carry it around in your stomach the rest of the night. That has to count for something, right?

Then Friday comes and you do it again.

The man writing this is Paul, who spent years hunting Christians down before Jesus got ahold of him.

He's writing to a church he'd just had to correct, and he tells them there are two kinds of feeling bad. Only one of them takes anybody anywhere.

Look at the verb he puts on both of them:

Worketh.

Both kinds are working on something. They're just building opposite things.

Godly sorrow worketh repentance, and the Greek word for repentance here is Metanoia. It means to transcend and go above your thoughts and heart or feelings. We were thinking and headed in one direction and now we're thinking and headed the other one, toward and back to God.

The sorrow of the world worketh death. That kind keeps us standing in the same spot, running ourselves down about what we did until it feels like we've paid it off, and nothing changes but the hours we lost. That's actually called a dead works repentance according to Hebrews 6:1.

Hating what we did isn't turning.

You can feel bad about the wrong road for years and still be on it.

God said this a long time ago through a prophet named Joel. Read the order He puts it in:

"And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil."

Joel 2:13 (KJV)

Rend means tear. Back then, when something wrecked a person, they tore their own clothes so everybody could see how bad they were hurting.

God says He isn't after the show. Tear the heart.

Then read the next thing He says, because that's the part that moves you. Turn unto the LORD your God.

He tells you who you're turning toward in that same breath. He's gracious and merciful, and He's slow to anger.

Go back to the verse at the top and catch the last piece of it. Repentance to salvation not to be repented of.

Turning is the one thing you'll never end up sorry about.

The only reason any of us get to turn at all is Jesus.

Every wrong turn we ever made landed on Him, and He died under the weight of it.

He was buried. He rose again the third day, alive.

The road back to God was finished before you ever felt bad about anything.

You're going to feel that sick feeling again, probably this month, and it isn't your enemy. What you do in the next five minutes is what matters.

If what's stopping you is the thought that God has finally had enough of you, Joel answered that before you ever asked it. Slow to anger.

He isn't standing there waiting for you to feel bad long enough to earn the turn.

Here's how to actually turn today:

1. Quit waiting until you feel sorry enough.

There's no amount of feeling bad that qualifies you, and God never asked it to. Give the feeling its five minutes, then move while it's still sitting on you. Repentance isn't a feeling but a turning and trusting in His word above your thoughts and feelings.

2. Take Him at His word about Himself.

You're going to want to wait until you feel forgiven before you come. Go on what He called Himself instead. Gracious and merciful and slow to anger, and He said it over people who had a lot more to answer for than you do.

3. Change the next thing you do.

A turn is one step in a new direction. Name the one thing you'd normally do next when that feeling hits you, and replace it with the Word instead. That's the turn, and God walks the rest of it with you.

PRAYER

Almighty God, I've spent a lot of nights feeling awful about what I'd done and calling that repentance.

I thought if it hurt enough it counted for something.

Thank You that Jesus already walked that road, so it was never mine to build.

Today I turn instead of sitting in it.

The next time that feeling shows up, help me come toward You before I've finished hurting about it.

Thank You that You're slow to anger, even with somebody who keeps coming to You about the same thing.

Help me believe what You said about Yourself over what I feel about me.

I'm turning, and You're already right here.

In Jesus' precious name we pray. Amen.