Acts 3:18:19
So repent (change your mind and purpose); turn around and return [to God], that your sins may be erased (blotted out, wiped clean), that times of refreshing (of recovering from the effects of heat, of reviving with fresh air) may come from the presence of the Lord.
In the midst of tumult, stress and the pressures of life it is very easy for us to allow our negative side to take over and propel us into an unhealthy emotional and spiritual place .During these dark times our thoughts and minds effortlessly turn away from trusting God as our positive plans and intentions seemingly become defeated. Yet even when we consciously give up on God and attempt to leave Him because of our anger, disappointment or anti-faith –HE NEVER LEAVES US! God is always closer than we know and He shares in our experiences of distress and suffering. Although God never leaves us, He has given us the gift of free will so we get the choice to continue on in negativity and defeat or turn to Him for the help we need to find refreshment in His positive LIGHT! God knows the world can be a challenging place to live because humans damage each other so much through judgment and abuse, verbal and emotional, affecting our identity and self-esteem. Jesus, God’s son, gave His life on the cross so our past, present and future sins could be blotted out! When God says repent He is not angry with us but longs for us to turn around and return to Him so we can experience who He really is – God is LOVE! In our renewed relationship with God we will learn to talk with Him (pray) and experience self-forgiveness and self-love. LOVE destroys and defeats the darkness or negativity within us. God’s love and presence is the breath of fresh air we need to experience recovery and healing from the effects of living in this imperfect world.