Before you can receive God’s grace, you must understand your need for it through a humble and repentant heart.
I spent a season chasing after the world looking for answers. I suppose I didn’t like the answers God had for me. God knew He had the best waiting for me. Knowing God has emotions (though not quite as fickle as ours), I get how sad He must have been watching me struggle while the whole time trying to give me exactly what I needed. I tried making friends with the world which means I rejected God and nearly made an enemy of Him. The two are complete opposites.
Understanding the Weight of My Sin
When I understand the weight of my sin against God, only then can I truly understand the grace He offers me. Without humbling myself to see my mistake and repenting of it, I cannot receive His grace. I can’t even see it. Not because He’s withholding it but because I’m not taking the steps to enter into it.
God’s grace throws my sins as far as the East is from the West. It’s mine for the taking. He covers my sin; makes it disappear. But none of that will mean anything to me if I don’t allow my heart to become humble enough to see my need.
God doesn’t push Himself on me. He patiently waits for me. Not to lecture me as I would be tempted to do (and have done) to my own kids. He just waits until I’m ready to talk. He doesn’t need to push or beg or force.
Repentance is the key to unlocking the gift of grace. I cannot receive a grace I do not confess I need. That door remains locked to me without repentance because it cannot be unlocked without a repentant heart.
Bill Johnson illustrates it like this: you are given an inheritance but if you never receive what is given, it just sits there, unclaimed.
There are a few things evident with a repentant heart.
A repentant heart recognizes she has sinned. There can be no repentance without a recognition of committed sin. It takes a heart of humility to come face to face with my own sin. My sin could be against a person, but it’s always against God.
A repentant heart feels remorse for that sin. Not guilt or shame, but godly conviction. There’s an understanding that a wrong was committed that may have hurt someone who loves me but also God. God has emotions just as humans do.
A repentant heart chooses to take the steps to turn away from falling into doing that sin again. It goes beyond saying or being sorry. It’s being intentional to avoid making the same mistakes.
For this to bear fruit, I must let God into my heart because I can’t change by myself. I have tried and I always fall short. Once I’ve walked these stepping stones and given this part to God, the door to grace is unlocked for me.
His grace is available to all. Unfortunately, not all will choose to walk that path. Don’t be one of those who doesn’t. It would only rob you of all God has for you. He wants you to live a life of joy, freedom and blessings. Not a perfect life—but a life filled with His presence. A life you don’t need to live alone.
Having a repentant heart is a daily act of worship. I am an imperfect person and make mistakes every day. It’s not about living in those mistakes, it’s about the ability to walk in the freedom NOT to.
Resource I Recommend:
Worship: From Eden to Eternity
