You Must Repent

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,” (Acts 3:19)

We can learn to trust someone again by offering them forgiveness. You might find yourself on the other side of the equation. What if you are the one who has hurt someone or who has caused someone you care about to lose their trust in you? If this is true for you, please understand that restoration is possible, but it won’t be easy and it won’t happen instantly.
 
Forgiveness is something we are given, usually after we apologize; whereas trust is something we must earn back, and that takes time. The reason it takes time is because repentance is a process. It is not an immediate scenario.  

Robert Smith once said, “True repentance has a double aspect. It looks upon things past with a weeping eye and upon the future with a watchful eye.” The Lord doesn’t want us to just apologize when we mess up and then go about life as normal. He wants us to show true remorse for what we did, and to repent for our mistakes. He wants us to turn away from sin and turn toward Him in obedience. In doing so, we can begin to earn back the trust from the people we have hurt and disappointed.  

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out.” (Acts 3:19) Repentance means turning from sin toward God, toward righteousness. When you repent, you are turning from sin and walking in the opposite direction (making a 180-degree turn).  

Because repentance is tied to action, it results in changed behavior. A changed life with new behavior makes your repentance tangible and visible. If you have truly repented of sin, other people should be able to see the difference. In turn, they will desire the Savior who changed your life and gave it new meaning and direction.