Oikeo Call #37 — Lent, Repentance, and the Courage to Turn

“Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

— Psalm 51:10 (NIV)

As we step into the Lenten season — the 40 days leading up to Easter that mirror Christ’s time of fasting and temptation in the wilderness — the question is not, “What are you giving up?” It is far more piercing:

What are you repenting from?

Because fasting without repentance is just dieting. And abstaining without transformation is performance. Lent was never meant to be cosmetic. It was meant to be corrective.

Lent Is Not a Ritual, It’s a Reckoning

Traditionally, Lent calls believers into fasting, prayer, and self-examination. Jesus fasted for 40 days (Matthew 4:1–2 NIV), not for optics, but for alignment. He emerged clear, grounded, and prepared for purpose.

But the call reminded us: fasting is incomplete without repentance. Repentance is not shame. It is not self-hatred. It is not public apology theater. It is the sacred act of turning — turning away from sin and turning back toward God. It is courage in motion. And sometimes, what we must turn from is uncomfortable.

A Hard Confession

One of the most vulnerable moments of the call centered on a deeply personal testimony: repentance from racism.

Not the kind that sits neatly in history books. But the kind that can take root in the heart when hurt goes unhealed. The kind that grows when injustice feels relentless. The kind that disguises itself as righteous anger but slowly morphs into bitterness.

We live in a climate of overt racism, public cruelty, and systemic injustice. When we are wounded repeatedly, anger feels justified. Resentment feels logical. Withdrawal feels safe.

But Scripture does not permit hatred as a coping mechanism.

1 John 4:20 (NIV):
“Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar.”

That verse is not gentle. It is surgical. God is love. And if we are going to bear His name, we must bear His nature. Hate the sin, yes. Confront injustice, absolutely. But hatred toward people corrodes the vessel God is trying to use. Repentance here was not weakness. It was spiritual discipline. It was choosing freedom over bitterness. It was saying, “I will not let what wounded me become what defines me.”

That is Lent at its deepest.

Ask God What Needs to Go

The invitation during this call was simple and direct: Ask God what you need to repent from. Not what sounds spiritual. Not what looks impressive. What is real.

Psalm 139:23–24 (NIV):
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

If you are brave enough to ask, He will answer. And when He does, it won’t be to condemn you. It will be to draw you closer. Repentance is not about distancing yourself from God. It is about deepening intimacy with Him.

Prayer for the Broken World

After the message, the call shifted into intercession. Names were lifted. Grief was acknowledged. Healing was requested. Families who lost loved ones were covered. Cancer diagnoses were spoken into the presence of a healing God. Caregivers were strengthened. Incarcerated men and women were remembered. Civil leadership was placed under divine scrutiny. The nation was brought before the throne.

There were tears for suicide losses. There were prayers for missing family members. There were petitions for mercy, for guidance, for disrupted evil, for renewed peace.

And there were praise reports too.

• A grandson on the autism spectrum now asking to go to church every Sunday.
• A young man once incarcerated now free and employed.

Because repentance and prayer do not leave us in despair. They create space for testimony.

The Work of Lent

Lent is not about temporary sacrifice. It is about permanent surrender.

It asks us:

• What bitterness have you normalized?
• What prejudice have you justified?
• What habit has been quietly shaping your spirit?
• What fear has been masquerading as wisdom?

Repentance is not humiliation. It is liberation.

Acts 3:19 (NIV):
“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”

Times of refreshing. That is the promise. Not punishment. Refreshing. This season, don’t just give up chocolate or social media. Give up whatever is keeping your heart from being soft before God.  Because Easter is not just about resurrection power. It is about resurrection hearts.

The Charge

This Lent, let God search you. Let Him name what you have been avoiding. Let Him heal what you have been hiding. And when He shows you what needs to change — turn. Turn toward love. Turn toward mercy. Turn toward righteousness. Because repentance is not about proving you are bad. It is about believing God is better. And that is how revival begins, not in crowds, but in hearts.