February 14, 2024- Written by Tim Gallant
Valentines Day and Repentance
These two concepts seem like they can’t exist in the same space, but true repentance is built upon encountering the love of God and making a life decision to turn away from the areas that are contrary to God’s Will. One story attributed to Valentinus (a Christian during the Roman empire in the third century) was that he restored the sight of a judge’s daughter. Upon restoring the sight of this young girl, Valentinus called the judge to remove all the idols from his home, to fast for three days, and to be baptized. The judge followed the direction and turned from his sin and released all Christians who were being held for trial. A definite turning upon encountering the love and power of God.
As we prepare our hearts for Resurrection Sunday, may we all submit our hearts to God. May we truly gain a new and truer understanding of our behavior and feel compelled to change that behavior and walk more closely with Jesus in our lives. To resist repentance when shown where we have missed the mark is to “presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance” Romans 2:4.
Repentance is built upon trust in the loving kindness of God our Father.
