Skip to main content

Repent - Matthew 4:17


"Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand."


It is God's cry through the prophets throughout the Old Testament - "Repent! Turn back to Me." This is different - "Repent! I have come close to you."

In the light of all Jesus did, all He said when he took on flesh, how can I respond with anything but what He asks?

Repent - turn away from. Replace the things that draw my attention with the wholly attractive and all consuming face of God mad flesh.

What would it look like if I replaced all the time I spend on my phone with contemplation of the One who loves me? How would I manifest the love of God in new ways when I know it so much better because it consumes my random thought?

All things but Jesus in moderation.

Repentance in full measure because God has come near to me and calls me away from a life wasted on inconsequential things.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pain. Defining it and comparing it.

One of the authors I follow on Facebook recently posted a link to one of her friend’s blog posts.  It caught my attention since she introduced it by saying, “ Ever feel like your pain isn't worth mentioning because someone else has it far worse?”  I have experienced that recently far more than I can say so I headed over to read the post (linked here ). The post is about two things - keeping secrets and the damage that does to us (that’s a whole other thing to write about) and feeling unworthy because my pain is less than another’s. Here’s the heart of my instinctive reaction to the idea of comparing pain that I posted in the comments: “I’ve had this really miserable cold for 5 weeks,” they say in a mournful tone. Then hastily backing up, “But it’s nothing compared to what you’re going through!” My response is always that there is no comparison in pain or trauma. My bad is bad to me. Your bad is bad to you. And who’s to say whose bad is worse? Certainly not me! Pai...
1 comment
Read more

The second recurring picture

If my room is the place where I meet Christ in times when I want to be close to Him, then my view of Heaven is where I go to worship. To me, Heaven is something I need to be able to picture. I know that I'm not even close on the details and flat wrong on many, many things. But to me that's less important than what I do when I'm there. And to do that, my limited mind needs a framework. There is, of course, the throne of God. Seated on His right is Jesus. (That's my left - I can't tell you how many years I couldn't figure that one out. Yes, I'm right-left challenged.) On His left is the Holy Spirit. What does God look like? That one changes from moment to moment, sometimes right before my eyes. The one thing that never changes about God: He always has a lap. Jesus is the same as He is in my room. And the Holy Spirit - He's an ever-changing, colorful cloud-ish gaseous being. Maybe that's because I've not put a lot of thought in that ...
1 comment
Read more

Rejoice - Matthew 5:12

"Rejoice and be exceedingly glad for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." How counter-intuitive is it to rejoice in the face of suffering! The previous verse gives the context - when people are mean to me because I love Jesus. This is the suffering that should move me to rejoice. I didn't want to stop and write about this. I can't escape, though, that this is a command. Rejoice! Be exceedingly glad! The pursuit of joy is something I know well. And, in my experience, it comes when I know who and Whose I am. Maybe this is God's message to me: It's time to return to joy. Put away the sadness and suffering you are experiencing. Remember that I've got you and I will not let you fall.
Post a Comment
Read more