“Repent—for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (February 11, 2008)
Repent means to change your mind, and what this famously misunderstood verse means is NOT “perform self-torturing acts to punish yourself and purge your sins because the time is near when you’re going to burn in hell if you don’t.” Rather, it means to turn from your self-absorption and unhappiness to the abundant joy that comes from focusing your life on God & loving others instead of remaining in the more natural human position of being turned inward on yourself. The “kingdom of heaven” that is “at hand” (i.e., here, now) is this abundant living that is available now to all of us if we will only make the decision to align our lives and minds with God instead of continuing to focus on ourselves, which only leads to emptiness.
SO, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” means turn from your sadness & emptiness and embrace the joy that God wants to give you!
