Change of Heart
Repentance is a word we often fail to understand, even in Christian circles. We usually think of it when there is a sin we are committing that we need to confess and abandon. The word “repentance” that Paul used, in Greek, very simply means to change one’s mind. That is how the word was used outside Christian circles. Plato used it in 500 B. C. in Euthydemus. He said, “I reconsidered” what he had said earlier and changed his mind² to say something different. But for Paul, I think it meant something more. When most people hear the word “repent” today, I don’t think they think in Plato’s terms. It’s not likely that they think in terms of looking at the menu of life, changing their minds and picking something else. Most of us see repentance as an action that ends an episode of bad behavior. Many Christians rightly associate it with their conversion, when they confessed their sin in repentance and trusted Chris in faith for salvation. But if they see repentance as something needed only when they first became Christians, they have missed something important about the rest of their walk with Christ. Just as we can wrongly think of “grace” and “the gospel” as things we needed at the beginning of our Christian life but not as much later on, so we can wrongly see repentance as something we needed it in the past and not now.
—Charles D. Hodges,
Good Mood Bad Mood
We often think of repentance as a moment—something that happens once when we come to Christ or when we’ve clearly messed up. But the word Paul used for repentance simply means to change one’s mind. It’s not just about quitting bad behavior; it’s about rethinking our direction entirely. Charles Hodge reminds us that even ancient philosophers used the term to describe a shift in thinking. And for followers of Jesus, that shift isn’t a one-time course correction—it’s a lifelong posture of the heart.
Repentance isn’t just for when we hit rock bottom; it’s the soil where daily transformation takes root. Like grace and the gospel, it’s not just how we begin the journey—it’s how we keep going. In treatment, we often find ourselves needing to rethink old patterns, harmful beliefs, and buried wounds. That’s repentance too. And far from being a sign of failure, it’s actually a sign that God is still working—inviting us to change our minds, and in doing so, experience the renewal only He can bring. —DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics