Repentance is a change of mind, a change of heart, a change of will, a change of direction. It’s a complete life change. Repentance is a makeover God’s way. It is a makeover that makes us more beautiful because we look more like our maker.
When I was first learning to garden, I often found myself on my knees in beautiful Tennessee. In the spring, I would be down on my knees planting flowers; then, in the summer, I would be down on my knees pulling weeds. There was one particular weed in my Tennessee garden that I was having trouble removing. I would dig down deep and be sure that I had gotten the weed at the root, and a few weeks later when the rain fell, it would pop up a few feet away. It had such a deep underground root system that I found Jesus using it as an example of my own sin areas.
As I was on my knees in the garden, Jesus said to me, “This is what a besetting sin is like.” The word besetting is from the King James Version for Hebrews 12:1, and it refers to the primary area in your life where you’ve constantly struggled. It’s a go-to escape sin. Often, a besetting sin is repeated throughout the generations. For some people, it’s sexual sin or pornography; it can be anxiety or fear patterns. This besetting sin can be some sort of addiction such as self-indulgence, overeating or overspending.
For more on how cultivating a lifestyle of repentance through daily prayer opens the gateway to the kingdom of God advancing in and through your life, listen to Healing Rain on the Charisma Podcast Network. {eoa}
