“For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” – 2 Corinthians 7:10
For most people, there are plenty of times when we feel bad for things we’ve said or done. The question is, what do we do with that guilt, shame, regret, or sorrow? Do we remain stuck in it? Do we give up and embrace it? Do we double down on doing more of what got us into that state? Or do we repent of it – being genuinely sorry and letting everyone involved know that we are sorry and resolved to change our ways?
That’s what Paul’s talking about here. He’d written a sharp letter to his Corinthian friends (all of them followers of Jesus). They’d made mistakes and he pointed those out because he loved them too much not to. They’d been wounded by what he wrote. But rather than indulge their hurt feelings and prepare their defenses, they’d been humble enough to recognize the truth of what he’d written. They saw where they’d fallen into sin and they repented of it.
God never wants you to remain stuck in guilt, shame, sorrow, or regret. He doesn’t want you defending what got you in that place. He wants you rejecting it. His grace is freely available to everyone who truly repents of what they’ve done. His grace is always freely available to you. When you’re in a place of grief over some sin you’ve committed or hurt you have inflicted, turn back to God. Confess your sorrow and sin to God and ask His forgiveness in the name of Jesus. He will always forgive! Do the same to any person affected by your actions and pray they will respond like God. God’s always ready to forgive and embrace His children – we just need to swallow our pride and ask. #FollowJesus