“May Your Sorrow Lead You To Repentance!”

“May Your Sorrow Lead You To Repentance!”
At his send off a senior pastor of blessed memory told the parishioners, “If I offended you with my words, please forgive me. However, when a child has malaria it is good to give him quinine. Tell him quinine is bitter but cures malaria. Do not instead give him sugar. Sugar is sweet but will not cure malaria.”
Words can be hurting, yet brings healing. Our people say, “while you are fighting, listen to the insults from the onlookers!”
Paul once wrote a letter to the Corinthian congregation which caused them sorrow. In response he stated, “Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it – I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while – yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret…”(II Cor.7:8-11).
The word of God often come to us raw, harsh and hard, and often cause us great sorrow because they hurt! However if they lead to repentance, then it has achieved God’s intended purpose.
We should learn to receive the word with introspection. They may hurt our ego and cause us sorrow, but if the sorrow leads to repentance then praise God.
Let us continue to receive that bitter quinine that heals our malaria than receiving sugar that is sweet but keeps the malaria in us. As you receive ash this Wednesday, marking the beginning of the forty days journey of Lent, may it cause sorrow in you that pushes you to repentance.
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ I remember the pain you bore for my sake and I am sorry unto repentance. Save me Lord. Amen!
Have a blessed Ash Wednesday and welcome to Lent season 2021! Peace be with you!