repent and believe

Opening Prayer:  Lord Jesus, help me to repent and believe in the good news, for the kingdom of God is near.  Amen.

Scripture: Mark 1:14-18

Journal: What do the words repent and believe stir up in you?  How are they related?  How are they present in your life these days?  Which one is harder for you?  Why?

Reflection: The kingdom of God is near.  Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15)  I love that Jesus reminds us that repent and believe are a package deal.  One really does no good apart from the other.  All too often I forget that.

     I get repentance.  I really do.  In fact, during the course of a day I usually turn (or return) to Jesus over and over and over again.  My problem typically comes with the belief part.  It is the belief part that gives the repent part its power and its substance.

     If I repent and then fail to really believe that repentance makes all things new again, then it does little good.  I am still trying to earn my way back to Jesus.  If I repent and fail to really believe that God sees me the way he says he sees me, then I will continue to perform and try to make myself worthy of his love and forgiveness.  If I repent and fail to believe that what God says about me is really true, I will continue to be at the mercy of my own (false) inner narratives.

     Repent and believe means that the narrative of Jesus is the one that determines my life and my actions.  The narrative that says, “I love you.  You are mine.  Nothing in this world can ever change that.  You are valuable because I made you, because I dreamt you into being, because I created you fearfully and wonderfully.  You are my masterpiece, my poem, my work of art.  I imaged you before the foundations of the world and I breathed you into being with the breath of my mouth.  When I think of you it brings a smile to my face and joy to my heart.  Live your life out of that love and affection.”  

     Now THAT is good news! 

Prayer

Closing Prayer:  Help me to see, Lord Jesus, that repent and believe are a package deal.  Show me the places in my life where one, or both, are missing.  And help me to hold the two in harmony, that I might live the life you created me to live.  Amen.