​Repentance - A Change of Heart

​by: Dr. Laurence C. Mascay

Repentance is not only being sorry. It is more about acknowledging our mistake, becoming sorrowful about it, and deciding to change our hearts which leads to a change of words and actions.  As the Apostle Paul said, “I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds”. When a person genuinely repents, it is expressed outwardly.
  
Sadly, a number of people “repent” because they were caught in their wrongdoings, and not because they are repentant. Meaning, when their  misdeeds were not uncovered they will continue to do it and will not repent at all. God’s Word says, “Whoever hides their sins will not be successful, but whoever confesses their sins and stops doing wrong will receive mercy. Great blessings belong to those who are careful to avoid sin, but stubborn people will have plenty of troubles”. Consequently, being unrepentant have serious consequences that are disastrous to the person involved, while humility in repentance results in blessings.  
 
An unrepentant heart is caused by pride! Pride is the failure to admit a mistake. Also, it is caused by the thought of being always right and refusal to accept for correction from others. Arrogant people are on the verge of colossal downfall and disgrace as pride leads to destruction. We tend to forget that acknowledging our misdeeds and shortcoming and repenting from them never makes us less of a person nor a degradation of ourselves. Instead, it is key to gaining favor from God and respect from people.    
 
In life, we should not expect people to repent, especially when they don’t want to. But let us be a man or woman of repentance whenever we fall into sin. Such is pleasing to our Creator. Apostle John syas,  “If we confess our sins to God, He can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away.” In implication, whenever we commit a mistake, with the help of the Almighty, let us strive not to repeat it and live righteously as an outward expression that we have repented or have a change of heart. In humility in repentance, we receive a blessing; pride in an unrepentant heart results in disgrace.