A Daily Devotional

The willful suffering of Christ on the Cross was done so your own present suffering would not have to be carried any more. Christ's sufferings for you were meant to take away your searing pain. Placing your life in His nail-scarred hands turns you away from bitterness and anger over past hurts. Repentance is not only a process to confront our own wrongdoing; repentance is also a process to confront the wrongdoing others have done to us. Others inflict wounds upon us and our heart remains torn. When we repent, as we are called by Christ to do, we expose our wounded heart to Him and to His love. We are called to turn away, not just from our sins, but also turn away from the effects of the sin of others. No matter who we are or where we are in life, we must turn away from the darkness. Turning away can be a daily requirement. Some wounds of the heart are so deep a lifetime of daily turning away may be required. Repentance for some persons may take the form of a daily battle against the powers, forces, and evil spirits inhabiting the world. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Some have sinned because of the hurt, degradation, and violation of the heart, mind, and body by others. When we repent, we must turn away from our sin and from what the sin of others has done to us.