Repent: Reconsider How You Make Decisions (Part 1)

Read Time / 2 Minutes

Theme / Faith & Finance

“Lord, I’m so sorry.  I’ll never do (insert a sin) again!” was a statement I said more times than I’d like to admit. 

Growing up in a household of faith was a blessing; however, that blessing still had challenges.  Wanting to be an excellent rule follower or holy boy, I would find myself stuck in this sin-guilt-repent cycle.  Do you know it?  It’s exactly how it sounds.  First, I would decide to do something I knew I should not.  Then, regret lead to shame, shame to a false state of repentance where I’d make a commitment so big I was doomed to break.  Must of us know Repentance is more than a bold promise.  Repentance requires our thought life to be disrupted.

In America, there are plenty of things we do that we regret.  According to an article written by Forbes, the number one regret people may have over their life is choosing work over family and friendships.  While I don’t know exactly how one makes a series of decisions that would lead to that specific regret, it does seem like the western philosophy of decision making goes like this irregular triangle. We overvalue the implementation process while misprizing the exploration and discussing stage.

Seems backwards (or, upside down) doesn’t it?  I wonder why we do this.  Would wisdom ask us to reconsider our decision marking process? Ron Blue, a leader in the world of Christian Financial Advice, suggests we flip this triangle right side. The prize of decision making is the discussion and thought that goes into considering a decision’s impact.

When I was a child, I thought repentance was ushered by the wrath, I assumed, God carried as He looked at down on my mistakes.  With each passing day, I’m reminded it’s not God’s anger that leads me to repentance; in fact, it’s His kindness.  (Romans 2:4)

Ryan De Amicis

Wealth Advisor

408.758.6413

ryan@christianwm.com