Repentance is the Gateway to Growth
In my business life, I help leaders build great culture within their organization. One aspect of my work is to coach people in their relational skills. Change is hard, but it can be done. One of the key ingredients is someone’s ability to repent. We can’t go in a new direction until we recognize our need to change. Repentance can’t be faked. You can go through the motions, but it won’t result in lasting change. On the other hand, repentance can be forgotten. Humanity has a great capacity to forget or become foggy about our need to change. This is why the season of Lent is so helpful–it is an annual time for repentance and renewal.
Jesus had an interesting conversation with one of the Jewish leaders of the time named Nicodemus. Jesus challenged Nicodemus to repent in three different ways that apply to us too. First, turn from your program. Second, acknowledge that you are blinded by your expectations. Finally, be open-handed. Each of these forms of repentance open us up to the experience of God.
Turn from your program
Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night, on behalf of the other Jewish leaders, in what appears to be an attempt to have Jesus follow their program, a negotiation of sorts. The Pharisees were feeling threatened by Jesus’ ministry and wanted him to get with their program.
Just like Nicodemus, we have a program for God. This is funny, it’s like when your three-year-old tells you that she is the boss of you. The problem is that since we are trying to get God to fit into our program, we end up disconnected from God, just like Nicodemus. Our program could be certain details of what your life should look like or your elevation of the pursuit of fame, success, or wealth above faith, hope, and love. We need to repent from our program for God, just like Nicodemus needed to.
Acknowledge you are blinded by your expectations
Jesus tells Nicodemus, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from anothen (again/above).” This idea doesn’t match Nicodemus’ expectations, so he doesn’t track with Jesus in the conversation.
The Pharisees had an elaborate system of rules that were to be followed and Jesus often broke them. Our expectations are often anchored in what American culture tells us is important as opposed to entering God’s kingdom of love, mystery, and beauty that is all around us.
How might your expectations be blocking your experience of God?
Open your hands
“The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8)
We can sense the wind but predicting its precise movements is a challenge. Jesus wants Nicodemus to understand that this is also true for God’s spirit. The spirit will move in unexpected ways. This requires us to be more open-handed. During a season of personal challenge I would think of my life like water. If my hands were open and together, I could hold water. If I tried to grasp the water with clenched fists, it was impossible to hold any water at all. If I wanted to find new life I had to be open-handed. We need to confess we often are trying to grasp our life. The peace we seek will be found when we open our hands.
How might we cultivate a more open-handed approach? First, we must mourn the losses we experience. Then, we have to confess we are grasping and listen for the Spirit. It will be a voice that reminds you that you are loved and that there is nothing that can separate you from the love of Christ. Finally, we need to be open to a new direction and new possibilities.
The experience of God we desire will be found when we are willing to repent from the program we have for God; acknowledge that we are blinded by our expectations; and are willing to be open-handed.
