1132. Repentance: Emergency Brake or Steering Wheel? By Tom Obenchain · May 19, 2019, in Meridian Magazine -- Great article!
This article has so much wisdom in it! It gives me a new way to think and understand the true meaning of repentance!
Repentance: Emergency Brake or Steering Wheel?
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I grew up thinking that repentance was an emergency brake. Now, I know it is really the steering wheel. I literally cannot move forward without carefully using it every day.
For many years, a daily practice of repentance never quite made sense. It was a mystery to me. Why would I need to repent each day if repentance was for emergencies? I remember thinking that if I needed daily repentance, I should reconsider my lifestyle and that instead of repenting daily I should consider not sinning daily to an extent that required repentance.
If sin is the only thing we use repentance for, this thinking might be adequate. If, for now, we define sin as one of the big seven: lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride; we can fit most of our mistakes into one of these categories. Daily repentance can be, therefore, the constant examination of our lives and the rooting out every vestige of these seven sins. Many good Christians have done exactly this for many centuries. This approach is perhaps not without merit.
But for me, I find my adversary has little trouble keeping my mind loaded with heavy inadequacy when I am constantly scouring my mind for every possible form of sin. It does not take the devil very long to convince me that I will never win this race of repentance vs. sin, no matter how hard I work at it. This type of thinking leaves me stopped along the road of a righteous life, not racing towards a glorious finish.
If I use repentance like an emergency brake, I am not likely to win many races? But, if I use God’s love as my gas pedal and repentance as my steering wheel I can leave sin and despair at the starting line.
[As I write this, I imagine Jesus in the passenger seat of my car like he is teaching me to drive. In my mind he’s wearing a big smile as He calmly talks me down from my death grip on the e-brake and convinces me that I need to put the car in drive.]
If I am always looking at repentance as a fix, I find that I am always focused on the problems in my life. As I have learned to see repentance as a way of making progress, I have begun to focus more on positive possibilities. “What if I’m doing better than I think?” Or “What if God loves me equally on my good days and my bad days?” I can tell you that when I ask questions like these when I pray, I am always rewarded with confirmation that God does love me more than I can imagine or even understand and that He wants me to move forward in life with a joyful heart.
My List
I have a list of goals or things I am working on. Some items on my list are things I want to do in my life. Some things are weaknesses that I am still stubbornly trying to overcome (after decades of effort in some cases).
One ancient meaning of repentance is to change the way we think and act.[i] I realize now that each and every time I take the smallest action to work on anything on my list I am actually repenting! Did I drink more water today? Check! Repentance in action. Did I get out for that walk I said I would take? Check. More repentance. Did I avoid getting upset when adversity came my way? Hmmmm . . . not so much. Opportunity for repentance tomorrow.
When I specifically make God part of my strivings, He inspires me, guides me—like He is saying, “A little more gas. Watch that pothole. You’re doing great!”
Another scriptural meaning of repentance is turning back and thus reorienting ourselves to God. Again, I realize that in many ways I am already repenting daily. In fact, I’ve been doing it most of my life and I haven’t realized it. Every time I open the scriptures, I am turning to Him for guidance. Every time I attend church and remember Him as I partake of the sacrament, I am turning to Him. Every time I turn to Him, I am repenting.
Every time I blow it and make a mistake, big or small, I remember Him, though perhaps with sadness. Sometimes, I am ashamed. So, I turn away and hide my face from His. This is when I stop repenting. If I am hiding from Him, I am not striving to change and I am not looking to Him for the strength and comfort I need.
If I avoid scripture study and let my prayers become shallow or if I let my voice go silent in calling upon God, then my daily repentance ceases and I, in effect, yank the e-brake up and settle back for a good pout.
Choosing to Change
I love the 22nd verse in Alma 26 where Ammon rejoices because of the success God gave he and his fellow missionaries as they labored among the Lamanites.
Yea, he that repented and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing—unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God.[ii]
God asks us to choose to change and in so doing, turn to Him and take steps forward, doing good wherever and whenever we can. He asks us to pray. He asks us to do these things continually and without stopping because He knows that if we will, He will be able to get us to our destination of eternal life. It is only when we stop and turn away, our e-brake pulled high, that He is unable to help us move forward.
In the most recent priesthood session of general conference, President Russell M. Nelson spoke about repentance. His words illuminated the principle of repentance reminding us that we need not fear the process, the daily actions and attitudes that make up a repentant heart. He said:
Too many people consider repentance as punishment—something to be avoided except in the most serious circumstances. But this feeling of being penalized is engendered by Satan. He tries to block us from looking to Jesus Christ, who stands with open arms, hoping and willing to heal, forgive, cleanse, strengthen, purify, and sanctify us.[iii]
Yes, if we wreck the car and make a big mistake, repentance is for us. It may even involve an emergency brake for a short while as we work to regain control of our lives. But most often repentance is stuff of which a Christian life is made—small, daily changes that orient us toward our God and bring us closer to Him.
The Power of Language
Language is powerful, especially when words become entangled with emotion. Repentance may feel negative to us because of how we have felt after making mistakes. Let us remember what President Nelson said, that Satan is trying to keep us from turning to the Savior by making repentance feel like a penalty instead of pathway back to God.
If this is true for you, I invite you to use different language. As you pray use the words change and turn instead of repent. Say, “What can I change in my life today that will help me follow God’s path?” Or “What can I do to turn to the Savior today?”
Daily repentance is often already part of our lives. Let us learn to rejoice in the efforts we make to stay focused on the Savior. As you pray, try asking God which of your efforts and attempts He is pleased you have made. As I have done this I have often been surprised at how He helps me remember small and simple things. God is aware of each and every effort we make to change and follow His ways. I am grateful for a loving Savior who personally guides me and helps me release the brake and move towards Him daily, just a little at a time.
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Tom and his wife Julie love encouraging others to believe in God’s love and His willingness to help them through life’s struggles. They love to share inspirational, uplifting thoughts through their Higher Attitudes Facebook page and Facebook group. They invite you to join them there.
[i] Bible dictionary: Repentance
[ii] Alma 26:22
[iii] General Conference, April 2019: We Can Do Better and Be Better, President Russell M. Nelson
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