Repentance is mostly associated with turning from one attitude or behavior to another. This is true, but we can miss one of the clear purposes of repentance if we just concentrate on its function.

When John the Baptist and Jesus came on the Galilean scene their message was, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Certainly repentance meant the Israelites turning from their attitudes and behaviors. But the purpose of the repentance was to “make a way for the Lord.” The imagery from the prophet Isaiah, “every valley raised up and every mountain laid low,” gives the vivid description of the person ready to know the Lord — to recognize Him when He comes.

So a great purpose of repentance is recognition — the ability to recognize God in our midst. Sin and ignorance darken our understanding to the closeness of God, but repentance takes away the veil from our eyes that we might see Jesus in action.

For John and Jesus, turning gave ability; ability to recognize Jesus for who He really was. This is still true today. Repentance lays low self-absorbtion and raises up our spirits to know our Creator and Redeemer. Also, continual repentance clears the path for the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Before repenting, we were formerly unable to recognize the wind, not because it wasn’t blowing, but because we had our backs to it. But when we turn we feel Him full in our face.

So next time we are brought to repentance (which will be sometime today, if you’re healthy) we can rejoice — a happiness that comes not from just re-aligning our allegiance, but having the ability to recognize God in our midst.