The Believer's Responsibility: Repent
I was intrigued by a statistic on the cover of a parenting magazine. It said, “What 40% of Dads Never Do! See p. 76.”
Naturally, I picked up the magazine and began flipping to the page. I wanted to know what all those slacker dads never did! Internally, without even realizing it, I was looking to find a statistic for proof that I was a good dad.
When I got to the page, I read the following out loud to my wife, “40% of dads never make dinner.” I don’t remember exactly what I said after that, but I proceeded to puff myself up in the face of this stat. What a bunch of lazy, good-for-nothing dads that never make dinner!
From across the room, Jen quietly and gently asked me a question (probably as she was preparing our meal). “What percentage of time would you say that you fix dinner?”
Does picking up takeout count!?!
I was suddenly confronted with the reality that I had missed the mark on this one. And in pride, I’d thought my behavior was better than others.
The fact was, I needed to repent. I thought I was contributing more to taking care of our family than I was. With four young kids, it took both of us to manage all the tasks of the household.
One of the words for sin in the Bible literally means ‘to miss the mark.’ Jesus made it clear in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) that our sinful actions begin in the heart; essentially in our thinking, feeling, and choosing.
The Apostle Paul says it concisely in Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (NIV)
We are required to repent to be saved. Jesus said, “unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3 & 5, ESV). That is where our journey begins. But the word in Romans 3:23 is in the present active tense, which indicates that the sin which causes us to fall short of God’s glory is an ongoing, continuing action.
The Apostle John affirmed our need to continue practicing repentance when he said, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8, ESV). Therefore, as believers, we must continue to practice repentance throughout life.
But repentance isn’t easy. Repentance “can be said to denote that inward change of mind, affections, convictions, and commitment rooted in the fear of God and sorrow for offenses committed against him, which, when accompanied by faith in Jesus Christ, results in an outward turning from sin to God and his service in all of life.” (Elwell, Walter A., Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Baker Books, 1984, p. 936.)
The moment Jen gently asked me how much time I made dinner, I saw the condition of my heart, and I repented. Ever since reading that article, I changed my mind about my involvement in fixing dinner as a way to help Jen take care of our family. My affection for Jen and my family and my desire to honor God in all of life motivated me to stick to the change. And the Holy Spirit provided the strength when I didn’t have it in me after a hard day of work. All this led to a change of behavior so that it became a joke to say, “Dad is so far out of the 40%!”
What I love is how gently Jen asked me that question. Her question revealed the true condition of my heart and the resulting behaviors (see 2 Timothy 2:24-26 for how we as God’s servants, are to have this attitude toward anyone).
Sometimes the Lord confronts us directly, and there’s no question what we need to repent of. But other times He asks us a question to help us see the condition of our heart toward Him, just like Jen did with me. Then He gives us the opportunity to respond. Thank God for the conviction and gift of repentance that led me to take responsibility for my thinking and acting.
Dear Saints, the issue is not whether you fix dinner or not. The issue is whether you are willing to look at your heart and what comes from it, so that you can submit to God in repentance.
Has the Lord been quietly asking you a question to help you diagnose what is going on in your heart? Have you been listening or avoiding His prodding? God is the one who grants us the opportunity for repentance. It’s our responsibility to consider our heart, take our thinking captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5), and step out in active faith, trusting God to provide us wisdom and strength by His Spirit.
Men, what percentage of time would you say you help with dinner? ;)
Neil T. Anderson is the founder of Freedom in Christ Ministries. He began the ministry in 1989 and continues to spread the message of freedom to this day.