“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” (Acts 3:19 NIV)

The word “repent” is a very misunderstood word!

Most people, when they think of the word “repent”, picture a scene from an old movie with a weird person holding a sign on a street corner and yelling “repent” in a loud angry voice at people going by. It’s implied that repent means to stop doing some kind of evil behavior, or sin. Even though this may be true in many cases the word “repent” simply means to change direction. To go the opposite way. Another word that says the same thing is the word “turn” which means to turn around. It’s like seeing someone about to go into a ditch and you warn them to turn away from it. It’s a very good thing when they do, and it’s terrible when they don’t.

The Bible definition

In the Bible the word repentance literally means “the act of changing one’s mind.” True biblical repentance goes beyond remorse, regret, or feeling bad about one’s sin. It involves more than merely turning away from sin. Eerdmans Bible Dictionary includes this definition of repentance: “In its fullest sense it is a term for a complete change of orientation involving a judgment upon the past and a deliberate redirection for the future.”

Ongoing repentance

Repentance is not necessarily about when you stop doing bad things—that’s actually the result of repentance. It simply means you used to think one way and now you think another way. It is a necessary part of change. And that’s a good thing! When reading and studying the Bible daily, you are often confronted about changes you should make in your life The sooner you “repent” and turn towards God, the better your spiritual growth will be.

Repentance is a necessary part of following Christ

There is a problem, even rampant today, of easy believeism, where you are told to simply believe (or receive) Jesus, without having to turn away from sin. And that’s dangerous because just believing is not enough; even demons believe and are not saved! “You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror” (James 2:19 NLT). Jesus said clearly that you cannot be saved unless you turn away from sin and towards Christ. “I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” (Luke 13:3 NIV) 

Therefore

Repentance is rethinking your life and changing your direction to match how Jesus thinks. It’s when you turn from darkness to light and towards doing what matter to God. True repentance results in a radical and persistent pursuit of holy living, walking with God in obedience to His commands.  

“They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” (Acts 16:31 NLT)

Continue to pray for friends and loved ones!

Remember, God is faithful, and He will continue to answer your prayers for them throughout their lives. He wants them to be saved!

“In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish” (Matt. 18:14 NIV).

Pray for and train your children in righteousness  

Pray they will personally place their trust in Christ while they’re young. If they happen to stray, however, don’t lose hope; trust God to rescue them and bring them back. “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Prov. 22:6 KJV)

Therefore

“Thus says the LORD: “Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come, and my righteousness be revealed.” (Isa. 56:1 ESV)

“He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” (1 thess. 5:24 ESV)

“The LORD has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.” (Psalm 98:2 ESV)

For many years, I could not speak to my mother about Jesus! I really wanted to, but she forbade me from talking about God to her. It broke my heart! All I could do was pray for her, and I did. Then, many years later, she became seriously ill and was admitted to the hospital, where she was told she didn’t have long to live. I then asked her once more to please allow me to share the good news of salvation through Jesus with her, and she finally agreed. She listened intently as I shared the Scriptures with her, and then she prayed with me to receive Christ as her own personal savior. As soon as she finished the prayer, she smiled and said, “I’m so happy! Now we must tell your dad about how to receive Jesus, too." I was happy and surprised! My mother, who wouldn’t even allow me to speak about Jesus to her for so many years, now wanted to share Him with my dad! What a change in her thinking!

Why the difference?

My mother was now a brand-new person inside, changed instantly by Christ’s Holy Spirit! The Bible says, “Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new” (CEV). Before, she was a “natural” person, and things of God were foolishness to her. “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor. 2:14 ESV). Now, as a regenerated person, she finally “got” it. She had received a new understanding; the Bible calls it having the mind of Christ, which is a brand new spiritual way of thinking. “But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Cor. 2:16 NIV)

Don’t give up!

It’s so easy to feel frustrated when loved ones refuse to let you tell them about Jesus. I have to admit I had almost given up on my mother; so many years had gone by with no change. but God did not give up! He heard my prayers and answered!

Therefore

“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” (2 Pet. 3:9 NLT)

Little Foxes Can Do Big Damage to the Vine

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. (Eph. 4:31-32 NLT)

Forgiveness reinforces a marriage

Susan and I used to live near an older couple who quarreled loudly. They were really nice to talk to separately, but when together, they seemed mad at each other all the time. It was sad to watch them behave this way. Something obviously had happened to get them to such a sour place in their marriage. I suspect that it began many years earlier with some small disagreement or two that didn’t get resolved and just grew worse from there. The Bible says, “Little foxes spoil the vine” (Song of Solomon 2:15). The lesson is, of course, that little, seemingly insignificant things can cause grossly disproportionate damage. This is especially true in marriage; you must constantly guard yourselves against little foxes, such as small disagreements, which can grow destructive.

Someone asked Ruth Bell Graham what she did to have such a great marriage with Billy, and she replied, “Lots and lots of forgiveness!” This is a great answer! When Susan and I got married over fifty years ago, we made an agreement with each other to never go to sleep at night without settling any disagreement, to forgive each other for anything, and to love each other as Christ loved and served the church. The Bible has a lot to say about that.

“Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry.” (Eph. 4.26 NLT)

“And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. And we are members of his body. As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” Eph. 5:21-33 NLT)

Therefore

“Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” (Gen. 2:18 NLT)

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (Gen. 1:24 ESV)

“Good sense is a fountain of life to him who has it, but the instruction of fools is folly.” (Prov. 16:22 ESV)

John Wayne famously said, “You can’t fix stupid!” He was right in most respects because the verse at the top says, “The instruction of fools is folly.” Why is this true? What exactly is folly? And is there any hope or “fix” for people lacking good sense? Let’s take a look.

Folly is wrongheadedness

According to the Bible Dictionary, “Folly is the opposite of wisdom. It is not imbecility, insanity, or error. It is wrongheadedness. It has to do with practical insights into the nature of things that lead to success or failure in life. Wisdom and folly in the Bible rest on the principle of adjustment to a higher law for a practical purpose. Folly involves rejection or disregard of the revealed moral and spiritual values on which life is based. The fool sins against his own best interests and rejects God (Psalm 14:1).”

Having good sense is an essential quality in life

The dictionary defines having good sense as sound judgment often instinctive or unlearned. Some synonyms are insight, judgment, logic, practicality, prudence, rationality, wisdom, good reasoning, gumption, horse sense, levelheadedness, reasonableness, and sensibleness.

Why it’s essential

If you don’t have good sense, you can’t make good judgments about things. You make stupid mistakes and bad decisions. This is what John Wayne said you cannot fix. And he was right because you can’t fix it yourself, but God can and tells you how!

Proverbs to the rescue

There are some great promises in the Bible about how studying and applying the proverbs of Solomon will increase insight and will give prudence to the simple (Prov. 1:4). In other words, Proverbs can “fix stupid”.

Proverbs impart prudence to the simple

“These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel, for gaining wisdom and discipline, for comprehending words of insight, and for receiving instruction in wise living and in righteousness, justice, and equity. To impart prudence to the simple and knowledge and discretion to the young, let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel by understanding the proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” (Prov. 1:1-7 NIV)

Therefore

“To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man. O simple ones, learn prudence; O fools, learn sense. Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right, for my mouth will utter truth.” (Prov. 8:4-7 ESV)

A challenge to grow good sense

Read proverbs every day! The book of Proverbs contains 31 chapters (one a day for most months). Each chapter contains 20–35 wise sayings. Read them. Meditate (think deeply) on what they say. And apply them to your daily life. As you do, you will gain what is known as “the wisdom of Solomon,” and that will help you in every area of your life!

“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.” (Rom. 8:18 ESV)

It feels very unfair sometimes

It can be discouraging to watch bad things happen to good people and, at the same time, watch good things happen to wicked people. This is not a new concern. Psalm 73 tells how Asaph complained when he saw the prosperity of the wicked while he himself struggled so hard to stay pure. He said, “Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason?” (Psalm 73:13). But he went into the sanctuary of God, meditated on their eventual fate, and said, “Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. I was so foolish and ignorant — I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you. Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. Those who desert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you. But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.”

Victory is sure!

“Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” (Rom. 8:35-37 NLT)

Therefore

Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble.” And that’s certainly true! But He followed that statement with a wonderful promise, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8:38-39 ESV)

“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:28 NIV)

When our children were small, Susan and I often walked with them along busy streets and other crowded places. We held their hands tightly to keep them safe. Sometimes they would beg us to let them go, but no, we never did because we loved them. In the same way, God holds you in His hand tightly and won’t let anyone snatch you from his firm grip because He loves you!

Therefore

Be confident and rest assured that the One who holds you in his hand will never let you go and no one, or nothing, can snatch you from His hand!

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalms 91:1-2 ESV)

“And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.” (Col. 3:15 NLT)

Do you have peace about it?

Do you have a big decision to make? Maybe it’s a major purchase, or you’re considering a new job or partnership, or whether you should allow your kids to do something they asked for, or even something like choosing a vacation destination. Besides asking God to give you wisdom and insight about it (see Prov. 8:19), there’s a way to test to see if you should move forward with it, and that is to check for God’s inner peace about it. If you don’t have that, then stop! That may be a red flag and a warning that something isn’t right. So always let the peace of God rule in your heart (Col. 3:15).

Therefore

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:7)

“The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.” (Prov. 4:7 ESV)

Green weenies!

Have you ever confidently made a decision only to later realize it was a mistake? I have, regrettably. Early on in my life, I made a few decisions without having all the necessary information and afterwards found problems I should have researched and discovered before making them. In the business world, this is often described as encountering a “green weenie.” This term refers to unexpected issues that surface after a deal is concluded, much like finding a green weenie hidden in the back-bottom of a refrigerator. This is why thorough due diligence is crucial in business transactions: to identify and address potential issues, or “green weenies,” before finalizing deals. This is important in personal decision making, too. The Bible calls this ability as having insight.

Why having insight is important

Insight is defined in the dictionary as the ability to discern the true nature of a situation. You need this quality to avoid unforeseen errors (green weenies), especially when making important life decisions. 

Good insight comes from God

The answer for getting good insight in a matter is simple, ask God for it! Ask Him to give you His insight on important matters before you proceed with them.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5 ESV)

Therefore

“I have counsel and sound wisdom; I have insight; I have strength.” (Prov. 8:14 ESV)

“Whoever gets sense loves his own soul; he who keeps understanding will discover good.” (Prov. 19:8 ESV)