A Change of Mind - Martin Wiles

And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. Luke 13:3 NLT

Changing her mind is a woman’s prerogative.

I’ve heard the saying and experienced its truth. One of my wife’s favorite things to change her mind about is our furniture arrangement. About the time I get accustomed to things a certain way, I find them completely altered. Sometimes, she will ask, “What do you think about putting this over there?” She’s only being polite. My opinion doesn’t really count. As she often reminds me, “Most men don’t get a say so in how the home is decorated.”

The most recent redo came when we purchased new recliners. I’m not sure why, but these two new pieces necessitated a total arrangement of our den, including selling one chair, a wooden bench, and our loveseat. I’ve learned to live with her changes of mind, even though it sometimes results in a stumped toe or bruised knee. Expressing my comments does little good.

Jesus talked about a change of mind—as did many spiritual teachers who preceded Him and followed Him. He called it repentance. Failure to do so would result in death, but not just physical death. That would come, but the greater death would be spiritual.

Talking about repentance involves speaking about sin—a subject we tend to water down or dismiss entirely. Defined, sin is breaking God’s moral laws. Doing so results in a disconnect between me and God, a disconnect that can only be repaired through repentance.

Repentance is recognizing I’ve offended God, expressing genuine sorrow, and going in the opposite direction towards obedience. I must do it to establish a relationship with Him initially, and I must continue to do it thereafter to maintain a healthy fellowship with Him.

What I think of sin doesn’t matter. Only what God says about it. If I doubt His conclusions—or choose to ignore them, I’ll have to pay the consequences. Consequences that include an eternal separation in a place I don’t like to think about: hell.

But God has better plans. He created humans and desires we have a wonderful relationship with Him. He wants none to perish but all to come to know Him through repentance of their sins. He won’t force His will on us but rather gives us freedom of choice. And once we’re in His family, He doesn’t change His mind and kick us out.

As long as you have breath in your body, it’s not too late to repent.

Tweetable: What do you need to change your mind about?

Prayer: Father, draw us to You and away from our sins. 

Looking for a wide selection of genres in inspirational books at discount prices? Click here to see selections.

Thanks to all our faithful followers who are "sharing" our posts--please keep it up! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's Word.