What is Repentance? | Changing Your Definitions

by Bob Hamp

You have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.'  "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.
Matthew 5:21–22 (emphasis added)

“You never bring me flowers anymore,” she said, tears flowing freely. 

He listened with eagerness; his love for her had him quickly running through the GPS in his mind. Where was the nearest flower shop? He narrowed it down, already mentally on a mission. He hugged her and assured her that she was wrong, he still loved her, and he promised to do a better job of showing it to her in the future.

The next night he arrived home from work at 8:30 pm with a beautiful bouquet of flowers in his hand. Quite pleased with himself, he handed them to her. 

Shoving them away, with tears flowing again, she passionately cried, “I didn’t want you to bring me flowers!”

When we misunderstand how God sees things, He can appear to be contradictory. First He orders Israel to assemble together, to celebrate feasts and to give a variety of offerings.  Then in Amos 5:21, He tells them, “I hate your feasts, and I can’t stand your assemblies.”  Is He confused, or have we misunderstood something? 

God has designed us to be a certain kind of person. People look for orders to follow, God looks for us to become the kind of people He designed us to be. People who naturally respond to God in celebration. How we define what God is after in our lives has a profound effect on our ability to relate to Him. We must first change our definitions before we can even understand what else might need to change.
   
Much of Jesus’ ministry was aimed at changing the way men had defined the things God wanted. Repentance—changing the way I see—allows me to see the world more the way God sees it. When that happens, I begin to define things more the way He does. Now we can begin to walk together; now not only can I please God, I can relax and become the person He created me to be. 

1.  What do you think God is asking of you at this point in your life?

2.  Has God ever shown you something that completely changed the way you saw your circumstances or yourself?

3.  What influences in your life have shaped how you understand how God relates to you?