Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out.

(Acts 3:19 NIV)

Little Mary was at her first wedding and watched the ceremony with wide eyes. When it was over, she asked her mother, “Why did the lady change her mind?”

Her mother, puzzled, asked, “What do you mean?”

“Well,” Mary explained, “she went down the aisle with one man, and came back with another one.”

Mary’s humorous observation reminds us that, sometimes, changing our mind isn’t foolish; it’s necessary.  In fact, changing our mind is the very essence of repentance.

I once heard a definition of repentance that has stuck with me through the years: it’s “a change of mind leading to a change of life.”  That phrase captures the heart of what Peter was saying in Acts 3:19.  Before we can truly turn from sin, we first have to have a shift in thinking.  But then, that change in thinking must lead to a change in the way we live. Repentance is more just than a quick apology.  It’s a turning of our heart and mind toward God that shows up in our everyday choices.

Repentance always leads to transformation.  We often try to hold onto behaviors, habits, or attitudes that ultimately harm us, but God invites us to “walk down a new aisle,” to turn from what’s familiar but wrong, and to embrace a life where his truth and love guide our steps.

Repentance is not a one-time event we check off the list. It’s an ongoing practice.  Every time we recognize sin, selfishness, or misdirection, we are called to realign our thinking with God’s ways.  That alignment doesn’t just stay in our heads.  It affects how we speak, how we treat others, how we spend our time, and how we live day by day.  In other words, repentance is both the starting point and the ongoing path of transformation.

So, don’t be afraid to change your mind. Don’t think it makes you weak, foolish, or inconsistent. In God’s eyes, a change of mind is a doorway to grace, forgiveness, and renewal.

Prayer: Father, thank you for the gift of repentance and the chance to walk in newness of life. Help us not to resist when you call us to change our minds, our hearts and our lives.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Alan Smith
Reprinted with permission from Alan Smith’s Thought For the Day