28 July | Teens
«Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel?…For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!”» Ezekiel 18: 31,32
Repentance is an important word that means realizing that we have done something wrong, but also deciding to change that wrong behavior. It's like when you accidentally break your friend's toy and then apologize, and promise to be more careful next time. It's just that it's very difficult to recognize our mistakes, so when we repent, it's a demonstration that the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives. It is He who convicts us of our mistakes and helps us to understand that we are sinners.
In the book of Ezekiel, in the Bible, God talks about the importance of repentance. He says, “Repent and live!” This means that, when we repent of our mistakes and decide to follow the right path, we are choosing life. God doesn't want anyone to suffer or have a bad life. He wants everyone to have a happy life full of good things. But to do that, we need to recognize when we've gone wrong and ask God to help us change. But remember, God is always ready to forgive us and help us be better people. He loves us very much and wants the best for us.
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To practice repentance, think of something you did that wasn't nice. It could have been a rude word, a selfish attitude, or anything that hurt someone. Then apologize to that person and to God. Remember, repenting is an important step in living a better, happier life.