Repentance Leads You to a Joyful Life

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"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord" (Acts 3:19).

Many people are not aware of the importance of repentance, yet they feel it is humiliating to go and confess. Some think it is odd to connect repentance with joy. But when we are faced with a sinful act and it becomes a habit, addiction, or it clouds our thinking, we became slaves to sin. Hence we experience many feelings such as thirst, guilt, and shame. The joy in our life will be replaced by mourning, sorrow, and tears.

When we are stuck and find ourselves in what seems to be a hopeless situation, we should remember that nothing is too hard for our Lord to fix if we open our heart to Him and invite Him to take over.

"A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, 'Give me a drink.' For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, 'How is it that, you, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?' For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans" (John 4:7-9).

In many ways, the story of the Samaritan woman affects each and every one of us and teaches us so much about God's plan for each one of us. When all is said and done, it is our choice to accept or reject His plan.

Jesus came through Samaria, sat at Jacob's well at noon time while His disciples went to town to buy food. Was this a coincidence? Was He just passing by and happened to meet with this woman? So many things happen throughout our lives and we tend to think something happened at just the right time and we may attribute it to luck or coincidence. But when dealing with God, these occurrences are never a coincidence or they never happen by chance, because God has a plan for everything we do and everything that happens to us.

Our Lord Jesus Christ came to the well at noon, for He knew that this soul was in need of Salvation and that a sinful woman comes alone because she was an outcast and rejected by everyone in town. Jesus had compassion on her and did not treat her like everyone else. Instead, He spoke to her gently and that made her pour her heart out to Him.

Jesus Christ started the conversation with her because he knows that she would not start the conversation with him. During those times, the Jews considered the Samaritans as gentiles and made enmity with them. He asked for a drink (human thirst) and gradually invited her to ask for the living water that He can provide for her.

Jesus Christ never condemned her for living in sin but instead found a way to comfort her and praise her for telling the truth about her living condition. He opened her eyes to see that He is not just any man passing by but He is the Messiah.

Suddenly she was filled with the living water in her spirit and became full of zeal and eager to do anything. She left her jug of water (her earthly needs) in order to run and tell the whole town about the Messiah and invite everyone to come and discover that fact for themselves.

It was not impossible for a greatly sinful woman to change her way and attitude and become one of Jesus Christ's followers. This is because when the Lord touches your heart, you feel something special that you never experienced before. You thirst to acquire this relationship and give Him your life. Only then will you become the best you can be and have the true joy that comes from the heart.

"And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil" (Luke7:37-38).

What a wonderful picture of a repentant soul; to give all she had to the one who is worthy of praise. She was a woman who lived in sin all her life and known as so to everyone in town. She was touched by the Lord's love and kindness. When she heard that Jesus Christ is at the Pharisee's house, although she was not invited, she went there because she wanted to see Him. Her intent was to come near to Him and show Him what His presence in her life meant to her. She did not speak a word but her action was enough to say it all, as it showed her ultimate love for her Savior.

Everyone watched her while she wept with sorrow and her tears of repentance ran down His feet. Then she wiped His feet with her own hair as a sign of humility. Her kisses were filled with gratitude for His acceptance of her repentant heart. She anointed Him with the most expensive perfume that was paid for by the many sins that she had committed. And she poured it all out as a love offering to the one she desired to commit her life to; for her many sins has been forgiven.

"I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent" (Revelation 3:18-19).

Sin will find a perfect home to come, grow, and multiply if we allow it to invade our thoughts, heart, and lives. So always be prepared to shut the door in the face of sin and do not allow a few moments of pleasure destroy your relation with your Creator.

Remember that sin is like a thief stealing what belongs to God. By fasting and praying, you open the gate to the Lord to cleanse your heart and give you light and grace to equip you to fight and stand against temptation. And most importantly, to remind yourself there is nothing impossible for God so seek Him every chance you get.

Finally, may the Lord open our eyes to see the importance of repentance in our life with Him; seek it with hope of forgiveness and gain a joyful life with Him.