BEING SORRY IS A GOOD THING

We've been talking about Peter and what a terrible low time it was in his life in the aftermath of denying Jesus. I made the statement that one very positive thing was the depth of his remorse. He was clearly broken-hearted over his failure. 

The fact is that we fail Jesus on a regular basis. There is no shortage of occasions when we fall short of God's ideal for us. Maybe we have refused to do something we know God wants us to do.  Maybe it's a relationship issue that we have stubbornly refused to make right.  Maybe it's a chronic sin problem that we haven't been able to overcome.

Jesus understands we aren't perfect, and He understands we will fail sometimes. But there is a very important question we all need to consider. What do we feel like inside when we know we have failed Jesus? Are we filled with remorse - to the point where we are driven back to Jesus in an attitude of repentance, seeking forgiveness?  Or have we reached the point where we are so accustomed to our failures that they don't really bother us all that much?

There's a human characteristic that can be very useful at times, but in this context it can also be very detrimental. It's our ability to get used to just about anything, given enough practice.

I once worked in a 12th floor office with a spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean. When I first started working there I thought I would spend all my time at the window and never get any work done. It's amazing how quickly I came to take that view for granted, to the point where I simply didn't notice it most of the time.  

We have the same capacity for getting used to the less positive things in our lives. People who do jobs where they are working daily with bad smells or in disgusting environments get used to it, where someone not accustomed would be repulsed. Unfortunately we have the same capacity for getting used to sin, or other areas in which we fall short of what God wants for us. Actions that once might have caused us real remorse,, even distress, maybe don't really affect us that much anymore.

Peter was devastated. He took his failures very seriously, and those intense feelings of remorse provided a powerful motivation for him when it came to his future relationship with Jesus. What it comes down to is this.  HE REALLY CARED!

How much does it bother us when we fail God? Are we broken-hearted by the fact that we have disappointed the one who loves us so much and gave everything for us? Are we remorseful to the point where we are highly motivated to make the necessary changes in our lives? Or have we simply learned not to care that much?

I'm not suggesting we go through our lives filled with guilt and beating ourselves up. Jesus doesn't want that and that's why he provided a way for us to come to him repeatedly, to have our sins forgiven and our relationship restored. We don't have to remain guilty if we turn to Jesus. 

Am I confusing you with what seems to be opposing arguments? Let me clarify.  We ought to care deeply when we fail Jesus. It should bother us to the point where we are compelled to seek his forgiveness, and motivated to make changes in our lives. Guilt and remorse are useful to the extent that they drive us to Jesus, who is more than willing to forgive and restore.

The bottom line is that we ought to care when we fail Jesus. If we don't, that's a sign that we have become calloused and our hearts are not where they should be. The Bible refers to "searing our conscience".  When we see that in ourselves we need to ask the Holy Spirit to renew our hearts, to bring us to the point where we once again are sensitive to His voice and His work in our lives. 

So how about a little self assessment? Are you still sensitive and desirous of pleasing God every day, or have you allowed yourself to become "used to" and unmoved by the times when you fall short of what God wants for you.  Let's be open every day to the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to renew our love for God and our desire to live lives that are pleasing to Him.