Godly Sorrow Leads us Away from Sin

“The kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.” 2 Corinthians 7:10 NLT

In an article titled “Regret a Running Gear Purchase? We Can Help You Find the Right Fit.” published by Runner’s World yesterday, the following was said: Not every piece of gear works for everyone, but we’re here to help find the best fit for you. Earlier this month, Reddit user agreeingstorm9 posed a question on the r/running subreddit: “What running purchase do you regret the most? Or think is a giant waste of money?” More than 300 comments stand as proof that there are many—as are the reasons why a piece of gear may not work out. Maybe you put too much stock in your running group's hype about a trendy pair of joggers, or perhaps you relied too heavily on Amazon reviews only to end up with a product that wears out after a few uses.Our experienced test team actually tries everything it recommends, from sneakers and socks to percussion massagers and treadmills. We make sure to only recommend the products we've loved—a.k.a. products that are high quality, durable, and as functional as possible—for our gift guides and shopping roundups to help prevent regretful purchases.

And you know, when it comes to feeling sad, downcast, or disappointed over something we’ve done, the Bible tells us that there’s no regret for the kind of sorrow that “leads us away from sin and results in salvation.” That’s because the kind of deep inner sorrow that causes us to mourn over and turn from our wrongdoings (recognizing how hurtful they are to God, to us, to our families, and to the church) is the type of sorrow that brings us to repentance and thus restores our relationship with Christ. “But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death” because it’s the type of sorrow that’s only on the surface. It leads a person to feel bad only because of the consequences their sin brings but inspires no need to turn from them. 

So knowing how sin separates us from God, let us pray that the Lord would cause our hearts to sincerely grieve over anything we have done or said that is offensive to Him. This is “the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience” because it results in our salvation… something we will never regret. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that the way we deal with sorrow over our sin leads to either life or death. Cause us to regret our sins so much that we would turn from them and be reconciled to You so that we would have eternal life. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!