The Examined Life

THE EXAMINED LIFE · E167

Repentance gives regret a direction.

— Bishop W. F. Houston Jr., D.D.

Look at that circle worn into the dirt. That's what regret does — it walks the same ground until the ground gives out, and calls the walking 'sorry.' Most of us have a circle like that: the same apology, the same promise, the same fall, year after year. Repentance isn't feeling worse about the circle. It's the moment you stop, turn, and take the obedient step — sometimes onto ground you've never walked, sometimes back to the road you walked away from. And the turn has a direction: away from the sin, and toward God. Repentance isn't feeling worse about the circle — it's turning toward God and taking the obedient step your apologies have kept postponing. God isn't asking you to make your regret sound better. He's calling you to turn — and let your life follow.

THE EXAMINED LIFE · H34

Impatience is unbelief with a deadline attached.

— Bishop W. F. Houston Jr., D.D.

Psalm 27:14 (ESV)

Impatience is unbelief with a deadline attached. We say we trust God, then we hand Him a date — and when the date passes, we call Him late. But God isn't late. He's just not working off your calendar. A deadline says, "Lord, I'll believe You until Thursday." That's not faith with a scheduling problem; that's unbelief wearing a watch. The Word doesn't tell us to wait until it gets easy. It tells us to wait, and be strong while we wait: "Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!" So take the deadline off your trust. He heard you the first time — and the God who hasn't failed you yet is not about to start on your schedule.