True Repentance: Where Have We Lost It?
Trudy-Ann Holton-Graham
10/24/20243 min read


As I reflect on the church today, I often find myself asking one question: Why is it so difficult for many of us as Christians to truly repent? We know how to confess our sins, give a quick apology to God, and maybe even shed a tear, but then, all too often, we find ourselves right back in the same cycle, repeating the same sins. Why is this?
Could it be that we have forgotten what true repentance really is? We’ve mistaken repentance for an apology, when in fact, it is to completely change. The heart of repentance is not merely in words but in a deep change of heart and mind—a turning away from sin and a turning back to the will of God.
When I meditated on Psalm 51, particularly verses 17-19, I was gripped by a deeper understanding of true repentance. David says, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” These verses remind us that God isn’t just looking for rituals or token gestures. What He desires most is a heart that is broken over sin—a heart that is truly contrite.
The Misplaced Focus of the Church
So why is the church struggling to repent? Many times, we’ve shifted the focus of our sacrifices. We've come to believe that as long as we give tangible offerings—money, time, or acts of service—we’ve fulfilled our obligation. Yes, money answers many things, but true sacrifice in God's eyes begins with a broken spirit, a broken heart, and a contrite heart.
Too often, we think we can buy God’s favor with what we place in the offering plate. But what is our money worth when our hearts are still stained by the same sins we refuse to address? Our offerings become empty gestures, hollow sacrifices that do not reach the heart of God because they are not accompanied by true repentance.
This is where the church has lost its way. Our focus has been misplaced. We’ve been so consumed with external sacrifices that we’ve neglected the internal ones—the ones that matter most to God. A broken heart over our sin. A broken spirit in humility before Him. A contrite heart that grieves because we have grieved God.
What Does True Repentance Look Like?
True repentance goes beyond confession. It’s more than just saying, "God, I'm sorry." It’s when we come before God fully aware of the weight of our sin, with hearts shattered by the realization of how we have rebelled against His love and commandments. It’s when we lay our pride at His feet and acknowledge that we have no power to cleanse ourselves, and only His grace can redeem us.
David didn’t just ask for forgiveness in Psalm 51; he asked for restoration. He longed for God to create in him a clean heart (Psalm 51:10). He desired to be renewed from the inside out. That’s the essence of repentance—a desire to be changed.
And here’s the reality: Until we truly repent, God cannot build back the walls in our lives that sin has torn down. We ask God to heal, to restore, to bless, but we haven’t given Him the sacrifice that matters—a heart that is broken and contrite before Him.
It’s Time to Return
Church, it's time to return to the heart of true repentance. We must stop offering God empty sacrifices. He doesn’t need more of our money or more of our works. He desires our hearts—hearts broken by sin we've committed and a longing for righteousness.
If we want to see true revival, it starts with true repentance. When we repent, we create room for God to rebuild what sin has destroyed. When we turn back to Him, we’ll find that He is ready to restore the broken places in our lives, in our families, and in the church.
But the first step is the hardest: we must come with humility and sincerity, acknowledging that our sacrifices are worthless if we continue to hold onto sin. Let us seek the kind of repentance that brings us to our knees in godly sorrow, the kind of repentance that produces lasting change.
God is waiting. Are we ready to give Him what He truly desires—a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart?