MOMENTARY SORROW

PRAYER JOURNAL 9/26/19

2 Corinthians 7:9-10 Now I rejoice not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow lead to repentance. For you were made sorry in a Godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.  10 For Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

“I’m sorry! I’ll never do it again”…But we do; over and over and over.  We are all REPEAT OFFENDERS….WHY?

At that moment we come face to face with our actions, we ARE VERY SORRY.  We wish we had made a better choice.  We wish we could have a do-over. We dread the consequences.  AND, we are REALLY SORRY we got caught.

BUT…WHERE IS THE CHANGE?

Time passes, the consequences become the “new normal,” people forget and life goes on as if NOTHING EVEN HAPPENED. At the most unexpected moment, up pops the very same temptation and we are powerless to resist because …

MOMENTARY SORROW DOES NOT LEAD TO TRUE REPENTANCE!

In 2 Corinthians, Paul had written a letter to the Church of Corinth regarding a situation that needed to be addressed.  It seemed at first he was conflicted over the letter, at first he regretted sending it, perhaps it had caused some hurt feelings or embarrassment and some were made temporarily sorry.  But as time passed and he realized that the Holy Spirit had used his letter and their sorrow to lead the Corinthian church to repentance, he rejoiced.

PAUL REJOICED NOT OVER HIS WORDS, BUT THE WORKING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE CORINTHIAN’S HEARTS!

Too many times when we have been “wronged,” we want to make the offender feel sorry; we want them to feel shame and acknowledge their actions, so we lash out.  We rejoice, not because our words produced change, but because “WE GOT ‘EM GOOD!” Now, we have two wrongs; we are both offenders that need to repent.

It is okay to acknowledge that you have been hurt and it is okay to let the other person know that they have offended you.  Pastor, it is okay and expected that you will preach against sin but WORDS ALONE WILL ONLY LEAD TO THE SORROW OF THIS WORLD AND PRODUCE DEATH. 

Without a MOVE OF THE SPIRIT; without the working of GODLY SORROW, there will be no TRUE REPENTANCE; there will be no CHANGE.

Until we come to the knowledge that our OFFENSE IS NOT ABOUT CONSEQUENCE, BUT IT IS AN OFFENSE AGAINST A HOLY GOD, we will continue to be REPEAT OFFENDERS.

My prayer today, is that the Holy Spirit would begin its perfect work in me.  Let Godly sorrow reveal and convict so that I would repent and be changed into Your image.  Cleanse me from every sin and offense so that the Light of Your Love may once again shine brightly to a dying world…Amen.