Repent, the End is Near
The End of Fear and Indecision is At Hand
I had spent a taxing hour in the grocery store that normally would have been a quick 15 minute trip, and was cursing myself for not having a better plan to get in and out while presumably exposed to a global pandemic. I wandered aisles missing clearly marked items, frustrated that I suddenly seemed to have no bearings in a store I was familiar with, freaked out by people in masks, but even more freaked out by people not wearing them. I was anxious about the amount of time people were taking to check out, that they were all touching the card swipe with their germy nose-picking fingers, and that they had run out of the wipes that were at the front of the store for your cart… and then I was ashamed for being a Christian and being afraid. I’m almost never afraid of what other people are afraid of. Yet here I was, short-tempered and uncharitable to my fellow shoppers, judgmental and pushy, and actually starting to feel weepy.
Pull it together!
All of my reactions are understandable. Reasonable, if you think about it. Does anyone expect me to represent God’s glory and strength at this time? Isn’t that a bit much to ask?
Yes, it’s way too much to ask. That is why God built in a mechanism to make us able to be pillars of strength and goodness in the worst times ever. He has given us an out for the things we cannot bear alone, and built a bridge to deliver us to the high road we’d never be able to walk otherwise.
It’s so simple it’s maddening. In fact, when I say it, you might get mad. I get it; when you are overwhelmed, it’s hard to see the forest for the trees. A simple remedy for complex problems feels insulting. That must be why Jesus tells us His simple gospel will be a stumbling block for many. But it doesn’t change the fact that the key to relief is:
REPENTANCE.
Bring to the Redeemer the very heavy things you were never meant to bear, and He will exchange your burden for His, which is light. Tell Him about your painful, embarrassing responses to fear that have made you feel ashamed. He will pour out His compassion on you, turn His face to you, and make things known to you. Doesn’t that sound better than wandering a grocery store ineffective and anxious? Better than blaming patrons, teenage cashiers, and hoarders for your anxiety?
It did to me, so I immediately repented of fear and judgment, and gave my savior all the weighty thoughts that bound me, and cried (just a little bit). Then I experienced a peace that, while my circumstance hadn’t changed, changed my attitude and ability to be a comfort to others instead of resentful of them. I can now wait patiently in lines, assist confused people, forgive the angry ones, and make efficient plans to be in public as little as possible.
Just someone please check on me if I run out of toilet paper, because I might need some repentance accountability for my thoughts after that!
Reflection
How does the word repent make you feel? Why?
Read Psalm 51:10-12. What is David expecting to receive as a result of repentance?
Do you believe that repentance leads to shame or to joyfulness? Why or why not?
Goals
Make a list of things you are not able to change or deal with yourself, and purpose to bring them to God for freedom.
Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you; I will make known to you my teaching.(Proverbs 1:23)
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. (Acts 3: 19)
But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. (Acts 20:24 NKJV)