Learning More about Repentance

Matthew 4:17 offers one of many mentions in the Bible of the importance of repentance, “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” To repent is to turn away from a misdirected life. People must decide to live a spiritual life and forgo their prior sinful ways. It is a personal journey and an important one. To truly repent will require people to make some dramatic changes in their lives.

Admission of Need

Repentance can only happen when people accept the missteps they have made and consciously decide to change. People must agree their past behavior was wrong to live a more spiritually correct lifestyle. The repentant individual may feel shame or regret as they accept their mistakes. The feelings do not have to overwhelm them. Instead, they can empower people to remain motivated.

Leaving People Behind

People tend to surround themselves with others who have similar lifestyles. Repentance causes people to change their habits and activities. It is difficult, often impossible, to end a sinful lifestyle if people remain surrounded by sin. Finding like-minded spiritual people can help a newly repented person stay committed to their goals.

Increase Personal Knowledge

Straying from a spiritual life often begins innocently. People may lack awareness of how their actions affect their journey. Even those with extensive spiritual knowledge can forget their teachings and fall out of practice. Consider spirituality a learned behavior. People must practice spirituality like any other life skill to stay on track. Repentance is an excellent time to meet with spiritual leaders, take a class, and relearn forgotten details before taking on more knowledge.

Repenting offers rewards after a few years of mistakes or a lifetime. Repentance is an equal opportunity action that provides people of all ages and experiences with the chance to discover forgiveness. Spiritual journeys cannot begin without a person consciously working through the process of repenting. To repent fully and live a more spiritual life, accept responsibility for mistakes and learn to live more mindfully.