“Repentance and Conforming to the Gospel”
Today’s “3-Minute Retreat” from Loyola Press (which you can access at https://www.loyolapress.com/retreats/the-consequences-of-not-repenting-start-retreat) was based on Luke 13:5:
“But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!”
The retreat master writes, “To perish, to be lost forever, is not a pleasant thought on which to dwell. It is better to repent, to be contrite, so that you can come to a place of starting anew. In the deepest part of ourselves we know there is no other way to change. To repent is much more than saying “I’m sorry.” It is the profound understanding that we must conform our lives to the Gospel, or be lost forever.”
To say “I’m sorry” is very difficult for me. It probably is for virtually everyone.
But to conform to the Gospel of Jesus Christ—that is on border between excruciatingly difficult and absolutely impossible. Anyone who thinks it is easy to follow Jesus has probably never read Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. Or, at least, they have not taken those documents seriously.
There is a good reason for the subtitle of this website: “Musings of a Deeply Flawed Christ-Follower.” Sometimes, the flaws seem so much more real than the part about following Christ.
One of my 12-step readings from Hazelden made a very similar point about actually living a transforming life. Here it is:
“Let no one be deluded that a knowledge of the path can substitute for putting one foot in front of the other.
—M. C. Richards
Recovering men know this path is not always easy. We usually talk about the benefits of recovery and the many promises of the program. Today, in our fellowship, we talk of the challenges we must face in order to recover. Honesty may be the greatest challenge. It is frightening to be honest with ourselves about things we have never really admitted or faced before.
Sometimes we have new and confusing feelings and think something must be wrong with us. But we may be just experiencing the logical outcome of our earlier commitment to be honest. No one recovers by thinking about it. We must actively take each Step and meet the challenges presented. We are not alone with our difficulties. We are part of a large movement of men committed to recovery, and this quiet moment is one way in which we are simply putting one foot in front of the other.
Today, I pray for the courage to remain faithful when the fears and pains of my transformation are overwhelming.” (From Touchstones: A Book of Daily Meditations for Men ©1986, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.)
Yes!
Conforming myself to the Gospel, being transformed by putting one foot in front of the other in the direction of a sane, sober, loving life—these are not easy. But then, neither is staying the way I am. And no one has to do any of this alone or all at once. I have good companions who both encourage and hold me accountable. And I have the strength to take this one step in this one moment.
Recent Comments