Yesterday at our post-service briefing, I discussed a decision I had made. The person concerned surprised me by expressing disagreement with my decision and going further to acknowledge her responsibility for the circumstances that led to that decision. She clearly and openly acknowledged that she had been at fault and asked me to reconsider my decision, promising to do better. Her admission of fault was so full, humble, sincere, and unexpected that I reversed my decision. Everyone appreciated it, and she grew from it.
Far worse than sinning is refusing to acknowledge it. Repentance is essential. Proverbs 28:13 says, 'He who covers his sins will not prosper.' Yet, we often seek at all costs to justify and exonerate ourselves instead of acknowledging our wrongs. We want to either challenge, or convince others of our good intentions, or even attract sympathy in our 'distress,' and this out of insecurity and/or pride and immaturity. All of this is frankly unnecessary.
Knowing how to repent is the mark of a person who can be trusted, because she has an open and tender heart before God. This is the stuff of a leader, of one who knows that he has nothing to prove. I have a weakness for people who know how to laugh at themselves, to admit loudly that they have made mistakes, to learn and move forward without feeling hurt or humiliated, because they know who they are in Christ Jesus. If it is more important for us to be well seen than to be true, to protect ourselves and feel good in the short term than to improve and progress, we will continue to make the same mistakes.
Timothy Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York and author of “The Reason for God,” says this:
“My dear friends, most churches make the mistake of choosing as leaders people who are confident, competent, and successful. But what you need in a leader is someone who has been broken by the consciousness of their sin, and an even greater consciousness of the precious grace of Jesus. The main leaders in every church should be those who repent most fully without justification, because it is no longer necessary; who repent most easily without bitterness; most publicly and most joyfully. They know that their position is not a function of their performance.
All of life is repentance, and repentance increases joy. It is not a source of trauma, but a source of joy and healing.”
Food for thought!!
