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Written by Mirelis González Sánchez, volunteer with Ministerio Hermana Rosa de Hierro in Honduras
I have been teaching children’s classes for years in different congregations and one of the things that I enjoy the most is everything I can learn about them. These tiny creatures have a great natural capacity to transmit beautiful teachings and values that are necessary to enter the Kingdom of God. By observing them and valuing the importance of the ingenuity and transparency of their hearts.
On one occasion, one of the girls in my class got very excited about a puppet that we use on Sundays to recreate the Bible story we are sharing. I knew that she loved puppies and so I allowed her to play the role of that little animal, created by God during the formation of the world. When the class was over, we all gathered the resources we had used and I told the group goodbye and that I hoped to see them the next week.
The following Sunday, I noticed as “my little animal lover” came closer that she had a sad and worried face. When I talked with her, I understood what happened. She felt sorry and sad because without anyone realizing it, she had taken the puppy puppet home since she had liked it so much. She told me that she felt really bad for what she had done to her teacher that she loved. Right then, she showed me a teddy bear from home that she wanted to gift to the class as a demonstration of her repentance for her behavior.
The attitude of this little girl prompted me to remember and meditate on a very important theme for Christians. She not only understood what she had done, but the change of heart motivated her to act in a way that demonstrated her repentance.
When we draw near to the feet of Jesus, one of the first things we learn, besides His love, is that we should repent. That moment is a necessary step in order to be saved, not one we can skip over.
We often refer to repentance only as a feeling of guilt and sorry that we should have after bad acts. When we go to the Bible and dig deeper, we see the true repentance that the Lord demands, not just the feeling of pain for our sins, but rather it should lead us to change our way of thinking that, in turn, transforms our way of acting.
“Produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matt. 3:8)
First, we must understand the depth of love God has for us and the sinful condition in which we were found. This leads us to change our reaction to sin. In other words, if we sin, it should hurt and sadden us. Consequently, these two attitudes will lead us to act in a way that reflects sincere efforts to distance ourselves from sin in order to establish direct communion with God.
If the repentance we experience stays only in our thoughts or a confession of our faults and does not yield true fruit, it will remain simply as a regret on our conscience. In the Bible, we see various examples of people that, even though they recognized their sins, they did not demonstrate authentic repentance. This was the case with the Pharaoh of Egypt (Ex. 9:27) and King Saul (1 Sam. 15:24).
God seeks in us a repentance that leads to joy based on the hope that He offers us salvation and forgiveness of sins. This is totally different from the regret that Judas Iscariot experienced when he recognized that he had sold his Lord who was innocent. The result of his sadness was not to turn to God, but rather to take his life in a tragic way.
It is necessary as daughters of God to seek daily an attitude of repentance. We can all grow closer to His presence no matter how dark our past. Pedro shows us that, in spite of his faults, his character flaw that led him to deny His Teacher, he opened his heart to show true humility. Pedro knew to recognize the power of the Lord and courageously admitted the magnitude of his sin. The Bible tells us that he cried bitterly and repentantly. This heartfelt act was the door through which the Holy Spirit could work in his life. After this, the apostle reflected his joy as a valuable instrument in the hands of God to carry the gospel to many. He even gave his life for the cause of his Savior.
“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” (Acts 3:19).
So, let’s reflect for a moment. Is our repentance the complete process that yields true fruit for God or simply an internal personal reflection?
#IronRoseSister #HIStories #repentance #truerepentance #changeofheartandaction #forgiveness #guestwriter #blog
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Written by Geissa da Paz, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Who’s never heard the phrase “doing crazy things for love”?
A certain man loved his career so much that he literally killed people to prove his knowledge and gifts. He dedicated years of his life to get where he got; his level of importance was very high. Everything he did was about attracting and gaining the attention of the One he admired the most.
After a while he finally got that attention, but not in the way he thought he would get it. Even though he had dedicated his life to learning and practicing the things he read and wrote about, when he was called by Him, his life changed completely.
Yes, I am talking about Saul. We know he was a well-informed man that had a lot of love for the things of God. But his decisions and actions were wrong. He definitely made an impression, but not in the way he thought he did.
The one that loves, acts with wisdom, not by doing crazy things.
Acts 9 tells us about his conversion. Let’s pay attention to Saul, now under his new name Paul. After receiving a call to redemption, he shows fruits of repentance. He realized his mistakes in such a way he couldn’t even eat anymore.
“What have I done?”, must have been one of the questions that crossed his mind.
But if he did so many awful things, why is he still one of the most visible apostles in the Bible?
The difference between us (in some situations) and Paul is that he felt a lot of passion for what he did, and he was aware of his actions. Everything he did was dedicated to pleasing God. In the wrong ways, sure. But what he felt was true. And when Jesus opened his eyes to the Truth, he was set free. He started bearing fruit perfect for the palate.
The motivation was the same: doing the will of God, no matter what that meant for him on this earth.
Maybe this is a silly question if you’re already part of a spiritual family, but, would you be willing to live a life completely given over to God? Because being part of the body is not the same as really living in unity with the body.
Wouldn’t it be easier to choose to live a life that pleases God before choosing selfish pleasures and having to renounce them to live like God wants us to? It may seem a little blurry, but that is the way the Father chose for us. Jesus promised us it would be hard. He made it all clear, but we still choose this life. So, why do we make things blurrier?
Let’s choose to live a life with Christ, before renouncing the things to which we probably have dedicated our lives for years and years. When you devote yourself to doing what pleases Him, you won’t have time to do anything you would regret.
Obedience is better than sacrifice. (1 Sam. 15:22-23).
By His grace we are saved, because while there is still life, there is opportunity to straighten our path. You can choose what kind of life you want to live, but you can’t run from the consequences of your actions.
“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.” (2 Co. 2:14)
How wonderful it would be if our consequences were love, peace, and goodness wherever we walk. Thanks be to God for His Spirit that guides us.
Paul lived in a time where miracles were visible. Today, we live by faith, or at least we should live by faith. What about you? Do you do crazy things for love or act with wisdom by the same motivation?
#IronRoseSister #HIStories #SaulPaul #wisdomandlove #guestwriter #blog