Repent!

"In those days John the Baptist came,

preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying,

'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.'

. . .People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea

and the whole region of the Jordan.

Confessing their sins, 

they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing,

he said to them: 

'You brood of vipers!  

Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.'"

Matthew 3:1,2,5-8

My finger trailed deliciously in the water, cooling it slightly as we cruised around the lake on the hot summer day.  My skin longed to feel the refreshing coolness upon it's hot surface but for now, I must content myself with dipping my hand into the cobalt depths.  It was nice to relax in the remote location without having to worry about drunken sailors cutting us off or macho males showing off the power of their engine.  Instead, we could take in the beauty of our surroundings as we set the boat on auto pilot.  I looked ahead and noticed that we were headed for a rocky shoal.  Feeling lazy and doing a mental calculation as to estimate the speed versus the distance, I figured we had about 5 minutes before I'd have to take action.  

The only way I could prevent our boat from crashing into the shallow rocks was to manually change our course.  I could try to grab the wheel and turn it away from the hazard, but the autopilot would fight against me, making corrections in order to continue on its programmed heading.  I would have to set a new course.


I am kind of like that boat.  Even though I have accepted Jesus as my Savior and am saved from certain death, my autopilot is taking me on a path that leads to destruction.  If I do what comes naturally, obeying my pre-programmed sinful nature,  I will continue headed toward disaster.  How do I change my ways so that my life will be a reflection of my Savior?

Decision

"I have decided that I don't need to smoke anymore."  And with that, my friend ended a habit that had controlled her for years.  Once she made up her mind, however, the nicotine ceased to wield control over her will.

This is the impetus behind repentance.  When John the Baptist said to "repent for the kingdom of heaven is at near," he was warning people to change their ways, to turn away from death and destruction and instead move toward abundant life.  The first step needed to begin the process of  making a U-turn begins with a conscious choice.

Just as my friend made a decision in her mind before she took any action toward quitting to smoke, it is necessary for me to want to turn away from sin before I will be able to accomplish the about-face.  

Once the choice has been made to walk with Jesus, I will need lots of help to keep me next to Him despite all the distractions and temptations.

Response

One of my favorite movies is, "The Wizard of Oz."  As a young child, my heart went out to Dorothy as she tried to make it back home.  Finally, Glinda the Good Witch told her that she had always possessed the power to go back to Kansas.  All she had to do was tap the heels of her Ruby Slippers together and say, "There's no place like home."

As a follower of Christ, I possess the power of God within myself to help me, guide me and, in general, give me the ability to keep on track.  When I sense His supernatural promptings, I have two choices;  I can either ignore His guidance or I can pay attention.  I can do things His way or my way.  I can obey or disobey.

God's Spirit convicts me of my wrong doing when I stray away from the path He's set for me.  Not only do I feel guilty and uncomfortable going against God, but I may also notice other guideposts He sends my way to notify me of my straying.  

It could be that a certain scripture will speak to me in a significant way, guiding me back in the right direction.  Other times God's Spirit will send a message through a friend, acquaintance or even a stranger.  Sometimes, I sense His peace as I walk the path He has for me.  Whatever the case may be, if I'm not paying attention to His guidance, I'll miss it altogether.  

God's Spirit gives me plenty of help to stay on track, if only I will heed His signposts!

Evidence

I knew something was wrong the moment I looked at the plant.  The once green and abundant leaves were now shriveled and sparse.  To make matters worse, the fruits were puny and malformed.  My zucchinni plants had been attacked by borers, ugly insect which lay eggs within the stem of the vines, destroying the plant and making it susceptible to mold and mildew.  The zucchini produced by this diseased plant is no good.

In the same way, Jesus warned us to look out for false prophets who taught messages that sounded good but were far from the truth.  He said these teachers who spread lies are like wolves dressed in sheep's clothing: They look and sound beneficial but in reality they are dangerous.  

The first thing I want to know when I hear a warning like this is, how will I be able to tell the difference between the true and the false?  Jesus answered this question by saying,  "By their fruit you will recognize them." (Matthew 7:16)

When people look at my life, what kind of fruit do they see?  Just like I could look at the zucchini and know that there was something wrong with the plant it came from, the fruit my life produces is a sign of my spiritual health.  If others notice strife and discord, fighting and fits of rage, a life driven by selfish ambition, a free and easy attitude toward sex, hatred and jealousy or the like, I am mostly producing fruits of the flesh.

If instead there is an, "affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. . .a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and . . . (I) find (myself) involved in loyal commitments. . . " (Galatians 5:22-23 MSG) then I know God's Spirit is at work within me.  This is the evidence of a life committed to God.

Once I'm headed toward God, His fruit will be all the proof anyone needs that I truly belong to Him.

It's easy to float along, letting my flesh lead the way.  Knowing God and His Word, however, is not enough.  Instead, it will take effort to purposefully move toward Him as He provides the power to keep me on track and the proof that I'm right where He wants me.  All I need to do is pay attention!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will make a decision this day to walk toward God instead of just doing what I want to do.

How do I fail to see the guideposts God sends in an attempt to get me back on the path?

What kind of fruit do others observe in my life?