Are you willing to be wrong?

“Religious words” used to rub me the wrong way. Words like repent, salvation, sanctified, even the name Jesus made me cringe a little. They felt outdated and irrelevant. I thought “Is it the eighteen-hundreds?" I rebelled, brushing these words off as meaningless.

Boy was I wrong! And therein lies the message behind this post...

Are you willing to be wrong?

I was wrong about those words. They were not outdated or irrelevant. In fact, those words were so relevant, that they ended up changing my entire life.

I did not like those "religious words" because they grated against my selfish desires. It is not fun to be convicted of our sin. It does not feel good to know we are doing something wrong. It is easier to do what we want, rather than take the time in humility to seek God and commit to do as He instructs.

See what Peter says in Acts 3:19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord...

Repent. I really didn't like that word. But when we repent and turn to God, guess what happens? He refreshes and restores our soul.  Where fear, anxiety, and poor choices once ruled, God gives us peace, purpose, and the Holy Spirit to help us make wise decisions.

The word repent means to change one’s mind, to reconsider, and think differently. It means to feel remorse over our wrong doing. To turn, and do things differently. And to accept the will of God instead of rejecting it.

For practical application purposes, I see the word repent in three steps:
Step 1: Have an open mind.
Step 2: Recognize and feel the depth of our sin, therefore enabling us to see our need for a Savior.

Step 3: Seek to do things God’s way instead of assuming that our limited-capacity-human-brain has it all figured out.

The Amplified Version of Acts 3:19 says:
So repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins] and return [to God—seek His purpose for your life], so that your sins may be wiped away [blotted out, completely erased], so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord [restoring you like a cool wind on a hot day]...

Do you feel weary and scared right now? Does "restoring you like a cool wind on a hot day" sound amazing?

Be willing to change your way of thinking. Seek God. And let Him restore you.

Friends, hear me when I say, the deep peace, security, and purpose our soul longs for will not be found in a bank account, Netflix, alcohol, shopping, your job, social media ______ (fill in the blank for yourself.) Nor will it be found in a spouse, friends, or children. No person or thing can give us peace and purpose, only God can.

I encourage you to think about these questions and talk to God about them:
Do you have an open mind?
Are you set in your ways?
Do you seek God daily?

Do you want to hear what He has to say?

It is okay to be wrong. Being willing to admit when you are wrong is a sign of humility, a trait God calls us to walk in.  

2 Chronicles 7:14 is a great verse applicable for this season we are in.  Let's not passively whisper it once, but strive to live it out.
...if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

If you believe Jesus is the Savior of the world, you are His people. He has called you by name. Seek to be humble. Instead of judging and condemning other's decisions right now, let's take a collective deep breath... and pray. Pray for people in government, church, and school leadership. Ask God to give them wisdom, favor, insight, creativity, and to grow their integrity. Ask God to bless them (I have a triple-dog-dare for you... ask for double blessing on those you disagree with.) Seek God's face. Ask Him what He wants, and pray for that. Repent of your sin and turn from what you know is wrong (resist the temptation to think of another person right now. Focus on your heart.) Then...

God will hear from heaven and heal our land.

Here are a few Bible passages that you can pray over your loved ones, town, nation, and world. Please feel free to download and print.