Messy but Marvelous: Discernment in the Midst of the Mess

The last thing anyone wants this time of year is another thing to do. So today, when we hear John the Baptist preach a fiery message about repentance, we may not be real excited to be hearers and doers of God’s Word. But perhaps that is because we have misunderstood what repentance is and does. Repentance is not another task that must be checked off our list. Repentance is the opposite of labor. Repentance is the candid and honest acknowledgement that we cannot do enough to be in God’s presence for even a moment—much less a lifetime. Repentance is the humble and joyful recognition that God has done for us what we cannot and will not do for ourselves. Repentance is God’s work within us. The God who began that work in us at our Baptisms will carry it on to its full completion. To God be the glory in our lives!