Why Do We Turn Toward God?

We know the phrase well, “faith, hope, charity”.  This supreme trio of virtues appear inseparably connected as if together they contain the active ingredients in the formula for achieving life everlasting.  That’s what Christians grow up thinking, right? FAITH. HOPE. CHARITY.  Hold onto these and we’ve got it made.  It’s a familiar belief window we look through to ground ourselves.  There are no substitutions for these active ingredients or the formula simply doesn’t work.  That’s the way I saw it until one day I realized one of those ingredients is interchangeable, and its substitute will yield greater abundance in life.  

I sat on the bench, ready to be spiritually fed by the remarks of the three speakers lined up on our church program.  The first speaker stood, spoke on the topic of faith, then sat down.  The second speaker stood, spoke on charity, and returned to her seat.  At this point, my mind assumed the obvious connection of faith, hope, and charity.  I was certain the third speaker was assigned the topic of hope.  The speaker took his place at the pulpit and commenced offering a beautiful discourse on…repentance.  Say what?!  That felt foreign to me, even irksome.  Surely two of the three virtues can’t be spoken of while omitting the third.  I tried to wrap my mind around what I was hearing, and while pondering about the seemingly odd turn of the meeting’s evolving theme, I realized something that didn't shatter my belief window, but drew back the curtains a bit and expanded my view.  

Repentance is merely an act of hope and therefore a completely acceptable and pleasing substitute for the word “hope” in the formulaic expression.  Christ was sincere when he said he was sent to bind up the broken hearted and release the captives (Luke 4:18).  Therein lies our motive for turning to God.  Christ was sent to do the will of the Father.  Father’s work objective is to heal us from the wounds others give us, and the wounds we give ourselves by being mortal, imperfect beings, prone to sin.   In this stage of our existence we are fallible creatures.  It’s in our mortal natures to make mistakes.  Let us always remember though, that it is in our intrinsically divine natures as children of God to overcome those mistakes and progress.  Progress happens by turning to Christ repeatedly.  No need to be paralyzed by fear or shame.  God already knows we’ll make mistakes.  He expects it.  He sees it.  It’s no surprise or worry to Him.  Really what He cares about is that we use the healing and redemptive power of His son, Jesus Christ, again, and again, and again. That’s the only way He can mold us into who we’re meant to be.   

Belief In Jesus Christ + Act On His Teachings = Look And Live.  

Holding onto that is actually the simplified version of our faith, hope, and charity formula.  Let’s not over complicate the process.  Whether it's outwardly forsaking scarlet letter sins or inwardly casting off our veils of unbelief, repentance is an act of hope-  a beautiful, freeing, soothing, ACT OF HOPE.