Godly Sorrow

 

     Those living a comfortable or even prosperous life may be those living the farthest away from God. Those willingly running from God with anger, with an obstinate heart, those following a path of self-destruction or those protesting loudly, “There is no God!” may be the closest to finding Him.

When Jesus heard this, He told them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:17

     Let me explain. Think of all of the people sitting in church pews week after week. Many of those same people have not met Jesus. They listen half-heartedly, glance at their watches, waiting impatiently for the service to be over. What’s for lunch? What time is the game? Some believe they have fulfilled their obligation to God for the week, giving Him little or no further thought.

     The desperate heart, the angry young man, the addict, the prostitute, the atheist, are often the very ones, when they hear God’s words of grace, the true Gospel of salvation, to fall to their knees and ask for help. It takes Godly sorrow, a repentant heart, a humbling of soul, to seek the Savior.

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 2 Corinthians 7:10

     God uses the struggle, the pain and the transitions in our lives to reach out and find us, to give us hope and strength. Know someone in great pain? Know someone leading a desperate life? Know someone heading down a path of self-destruction? Wait, pray and watch. You may witness the miracle of a transformed heart.

Jesus,

We don’t understand the sorrow and pain in our lives and in the lives of others. We trust You with the answers and we pray for a miracle for those we love. We pray the test will become a testimony, the mess a message. With You, we believe it can happen.

Amen