Restoration is all about seeing God’s Kingdom come in the lives of our neighbors and in the culture, bringing them back to the whole, joyful state He originally intended. But that restoration must happen in us before it happens through us. So where do we begin? With repentance.
Over the years, I’ve come to realize that repentance is really a good thing, and not a process to be avoided or dreaded. Through repentance, I lay aside old, sinful habits, and I come more fully alive in Christ every day.
To repent means to bring our minds into agreement with God about our behavior, and then, like the prodigal son, to turn away from sin and come home to the Father. Repentance is the first step in being restored to all that God has been longing to do in us, through us, and for us.
And you know what happens when we take that step? Heaven explodes with celebration. Angels dance and sing. Banners are unfurled. God sees us coming from a long way off and runs to usher us into the party.
Repentance is beautiful before God. Through it He invites us into that sense of absolute cleanliness.
Men and women in prison hunger for a new start that comes only through that first step of repentance, and for 37 years, Prison Fellowship® volunteers have been going behind bars to help them take that first step toward home. Visit www.prisonfellowship.org to learn how God will use your prayers, support, and volunteering to set off an unbelievable celebration in heaven today.