Lent is about repentance, and today in Repentance Reopened, I want to share with you how this gift of repentance, given by the Lord, is far more than just a simple action. It’s a gracious work that reaches deeper than behavior alone. In this series of devotions, we’re going to reopen repentance to discover that this gift brings incredible, transforming ,and eternal healing.
Research shows that guilt and shame are not merely feelings we think about. When people carry unresolved guilt, their bodies respond. Nervous systems remain activated, digestion is disrupted, and regions of the brain associated with physical pain respond as if an injury has occurred. In other words, guilt and shame are experienced not only in the mind, but in the body itself.
That helps explain why guilt feels like weight, why shame presses down. And this is why repentance is a gift that leads to new life. Researchers have found that nearly one third of Americans say they seldom or never pray, and many rarely engage with Scripture, where the call to repent is heard most clearly.
And this isn’t merely a non-Christian problem. A significant portion of Americans who say they are Christians do not always practice traditional religious disciplines such as prayer, worship, attendance, or Scripture reading. All of this means that many are carrying a weight that is not just heavy, it’s physically debilitating. And what’s worse is that it doesn’t make sense because Scripture shows that relief from such burdens exists, and that relief is already won.
Isaiah writes, “Surely, He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities … and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6)
This free relief from Jesus goes unclaimed by so many. And truth be told, sometimes even those of us who regularly confess struggle to claim this incredible gift. It reminds me of stories I’ve read about the millions of dollars in prizes that go unclaimed each year. Not because the prize wasn’t real. Not because the cost hadn’t been actually paid, but simply because people never received what was already theirs. Some of those people didn’t believe it could be true. Some assumed there must be some kind of a string attached, and others didn’t trust the offer, plain and simple. And still others simply kept living as if the burden was still theirs to carry.
This incredible relief is received through repentance because it returns us to the truth of who is carrying the pain for our burdens. If you’d like to receive that relief, allow me to lead you in the prayer of confession.
Prayer
Praying this repositioning prayer: I confess that I have carried guilt, shame, and burdens that You have already borne for me. I have tried to manage what You have forgiven and to carry what You have already paid for through the cross of Jesus. Grant to me the relief You freely give and the faith to trust and rest in the mercy and life You have secured for me in Christ. Amen.
Pray, praise, give thanks, and stay encouraged!
Pastor Mike
