By Travis Freeman
What comes to mind when you think about the word repentance? During this COVID-19 pandemic, individuals are repenting to God for their sins. This idea of repentance may be familiar to people who are members of churches or have been exposed to religious doctrines. But, for those who do not understand Christian teachings, the word, repentance, could be unclear, misleading, and scary. Let us understand what it means to repent and how repentance can help you during this Covid-19 season. So, what is repentance? Â
When we look up the word repentance on Google website, it says repentance is the action of repenting; sincere regret or remorse. So, what does this mean?  At some point in our lives, we have all done something wrong. Have you ever stolen candy or money when no one was watching? We all have some kind of wrongdoings and these qualify us for repentance. For instance, an article titled President’s perspective: Gift of repentance by The Troubadour: Franciscan University Steubenville discusses a scripture from the Bible (Mark 1:15) which states that Jesus sent his disciples out to preach repentance. This implies that repentance is available to anyone.
You are probably wondering what is the value of repentance? Well, repentance is a movement of God that allows you to see your heart. All your wrongs come to the surface before your very own eyes. Repenting helps you to check yourself every day, to do right, and live right. I believe repentance is a gift from God. It is the love of God that gives us the chance and opportunity to repent from our wrongdoings. In The NewStars, an articleby Evelyn Richardson titled The only way to stop coronavirus is Prayer, asks the question what more must God do to open the eyes of his people to repent from their sins and accept him as Lord of their lives? Richardson suggests that people repent and ask the Lord to change the way we live. After all, repenting is the only way Jesus Christ can break the bondage of sin.
If you listened to the news recently, then you may have heard President Donald Trump talk about repenting and turning back to God. In the Christian Post, Anugrah Kumar reports that President Donald Trump urges everyone to focus on Prayer and grow in his personal relationship with God. One definite way to grow with God is through repentance. While some may agree with his statement, there are those of you who might disagree with President Trump. Look around you, everything is shut down; schools, businesses, companies.
If you look at the COVID-19 situation you will see it resembles biblical times. You may relate the pandemic to the plague in the Bible. In the book of 2 Chronicles 7:12-15, the Lord says when he shuts up the heavens and there is no rain, or commands the locusts to devour the land, we also see that is happening right now as well in Africa with the locusts destroying and killing the land. But the scripture goes on and say for he sends pestilence among the people, meaning a fatal epidemic disease. But during all of this epidemic the Lord gives us a way to get through by if we as a people humble ourselves and pray and seek the lord and turn from our wicked ways then he will hear from heaven, and forgive us for our sins and heal our land.
Now that we know what repentance means and the reason why some people are relying on repentance is to get through at such a time as now that we are living in. It is not just for one but it’s for all, especially during this pandemic. It is a heart check and a cleansing of the wrong doings, things and people we idolized that takes the place of God in our lives. Don’t only let repentance be when hard times and disasters come about but also let it be an everyday prayer just so that we can be sure that we aren’t trying to live in the sins and wrong doings.
