Going Through the Motions

“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments.

Joel 2:12-13a

In biblical times tearing your robes was an expression of sorrow or grief. The closest analogy for us might be a person pulling at their hair in anguish. So, in biblical times, when people returned to the Lord, they often grieved over their sins by tearing their robes, and fasting and weeping and praying for forgiveness. 

But Joel makes plain that just tearing their clothes wouldn’t be enough. That was only the outward form. What God wanted was the inward reality. They needed to do more than simply go through the motions.

Have you ever had someone apologize to you and you could just tell they were only going through the motions. Their mouth said the words, “I’m sorry” but they weren’t really apologizing. Maybe, they said something like, “Well, I’m sorry that you got offended.” or “I’m sorry that you can’t take a joke.” Those aren’t real apologies. They don’t admit wrongdoing. They don’t express grief for how they hurt you. They use the words “I’m sorry” like a trump card or a magical incantation that somehow steals your right to be angry that they sinned against you.

Sometimes, we do something very similar with repentance. We think we can do whatever we want to do and then just say “sorry” to God and get off scot free.

Joel says, you can’t just tear your clothes and be forgiven. Forgiveness is possible, but it’s gonna cost you a lot more than a new shirt. God doesn't want to see repentant clothes. He wants to see repentant hearts. We need to be heartbroken over our sin.

Have you ever really stopped to think about how offensive your sin is to God? Have you ever stopped to consider how disrespectful, rebellious, and even hurtful your disobedience is to Him? Have you ever wept over your sin? Have you ever fasted and grieved over it? Have you ever been heartbroken over your sin? Let me put it a different way… have you really repented of your sin? Or were you just going through the motions?