2 Corinthians 7:10
In fact, godly sorrow produces repentance, which leads to salvation, leaving no regret. On the other hand, worldly sorrow produces death.
Dear Heavenly Father,
No one likes the guilt, shame, and regret which follows after we have done something wrong. The unkind things we think, say, and do can cause problems with those close to us. For those who do not know or trust in You, those things can also cause other problems or make people cold and calloused. Worldly sorrow, as Paul stated, produces death. Without Jesus’ forgiveness, sins push us farther away from You, and that leads to eternal death.
As Paul said, godly sorrow produces repentance. True faith in You is always accompanied by repentance that leads to forgiveness. Trusting in You means trusting Your Son, who suffered the cross and has forgiven all our sins. So that godly sorrow means when we do those unkind things, think awful thoughts, and say loveless things, we can turn to Christ, lay our iniquities at his feet, and confidently know we are forgiven for our every sin. This leads to salvation because the sins that separated us from you are removed forever; with them removed, we have salvation and eternal life. When we are forgiven, this results in us also forgiving others out of love for what You have done for us.
We pray that we can share our godly sorrow with others who do not know you so that they, too, will hear of Your forgiveness through Jesus. May they trust in him and have godly sorrow connected to faith that leads to salvation and everlasting life. Amen.
Written through Pastor Roger Emmons
No one likes to be sad, but when that sadness leads us to ask for forgiveness from God, it is turned into rejoicing, knowing with the certainty of the salvation and eternal life that are ours in Jesus.