Season of Repentance

Sometimes we look at repentance as the one time thing that happens in the blink of an eye; a time when a person does a complete 180. However I have learned something new about repentance in my own life. For the past few weeks I have found myself in a season of repentance; not just a one day type of thing but daily hitting my face and telling God how sorry I am for being wrong. I have realized that my views on family, church and evangelism have been severely misguided and even unbiblical.

My journey began a little over a year ago when my good friend Chase put a book my hands entitle Way of The Master by Ray Comfort. God used that book and the prayers of my friend to bring some serious conviction in my life about evangelism. The Gospel I preached was watered-down, weak and even worldly. I didn't help a person confront the reality that they were a sinner that had offended God.

During some recent bible study and sermon preparation God again brought me to my knees with conviction. As a believer in Christ I have always believed and taught that we should be most concerned about the things that God is most concerned about. However, my actions have not been lining up with my preaching. God is most concerned about His glory. Even in salvation the God is most concerned with His glory than He is our fire insurance. So I've been repenting for making evangelism more about an eternity free from hell than the glory of an awesome God who loved us enough to save us.

But wait there is more, much more. It has come to my attention that I've been a lousy husband and father. Before God ordained the church He ordained marriage and family. Mary Kathryn and Cooper should be coming before my church but that has not been the case. Once again my good friend Chase gave me a book and to him I say "keep them coming buddy". This book is entitled Family Driven Faith. God has used this book, that I am not even finished with, to rock my world. I have to repent and change everything I have ever thought about discipleship; to get it from the church and back into the home where it belongs.

Now you would think the past few weeks would have been horrible with all this conviction and repenting but nothing could be further from the truth. I feel great; like a 100 pound weight has been removed from my chest. I look at my wife and daughter in a new and wonderful light and our family time has reached a new and much deeper place than ever before. And as a result I actually feel like a more effective pastor. I know that sounds weird but it's true. I pray that my church and my friends and complete strangers would get a hold of the truth I have found and find themselves in a season of repentance.