Live Your Life God's Way
It’s our life but we should want to live it the way God wants us to.
You may not believe in God, but He believes in you!
Daily Message
365 Promises
My goodness will lead you to a change of heart.
Romans 2:4 (WEB)
Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience,
not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
I love this promise. Romans 2:4 essentially states that it is the very goodness of God that leads people to repent. Often, when we think of repentance, we consider it a shame-based response to some form of judgment in our lives. However, it truly means to go in a different direction or to change our minds.
When Jesus said, 'Repent for the kingdom is near', He was calling people to pursue a new direction and adopt a new way of thinking, one in which they would know the truth and the truth would set them free. For too long, the concept of repentance has carried excessive negative connotations.
There may be a place for a message focused on turning away from our sin when proclaiming the gospel. However, there is also a time when we simply proclaim God's goodness and love, guiding people to respond by moving in a new direction... towards their loving Father through Christ. I believe that it is the love of God that draws people to genuinely repent. In John 4:19, it says... We love because He first loved us.
God loved us while we were still His enemy (Romans 5:6-10). It is the love of the Father that will melt the hearts of humanity and draw each one into His bosom through the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. It is our Papa's goodness that will lead us to change our minds and follow a new path.
When I consider this promise in this context, it alters my perspective on evangelism. It is the goodness of our Heavenly Father that brings about the greatest transformation in a person's heart.
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Responsive Prayer:
Father, thank You for Your goodness that gently draws me into a place where my thoughts align with the mind of Christ. Help me to be an expression of Your goodness to everyone I meet so that they too might experience a change of heart and mind toward You and see You as the loving Father that You are.
In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
365Promises.com