Begin with two minutes of silence and stillness before God.
If you have ever tried a “new healthy habit” that lasted roughly the length of a TikTok clip, you will appreciate my recent attempt at eating only a Kind Bar for breakfast. By day three, my body staged a quiet rebellion. By day four, I found myself in the drive-thru at McDonald's asking for something wrapped in bacon. I had good intentions, but somewhere between the cashews and common sense, my follow-through collapsed.
Matthew 3 introduces us to someone with no trouble with the follow-through. John the Baptist stepped into the wilderness with a message that was sharp, simple, and impossible to ignore. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” No fancy stage lighting. No polished social media presence. Just a man dressed in camel hair calling people to turn their lives toward God.
The thing that amazes me is how people responded. They left their towns and went out into the middle of nowhere to hear him. Something in them knew they needed a reset. They knew their lives were cluttered with things that dulled their spiritual senses. John’s message reminded them that God was not asking for a small readjustment. He was calling for a complete change of direction.
I once had a college student tell me he felt stuck in what he called “spiritual neutral.” Not drifting backward. Not moving forward. Just idling. He came to realize that neutrality is rarely neutral. It slowly shifts us away from the habits, disciplines, and loves that keep us close to God. John’s call to repentance is not about shame. It is about waking up. It is about noticing where we have quietly drifted and deciding to steer home.
Then Jesus appears on the scene. He comes to be baptized even though He has nothing to repent of. His choice is an act of identification. He stands with us. He steps into our story. When the heavens open and the Father announces His pleasure in His Son, it is a reminder that everything Jesus does flows from His identity. He is loved. He is affirmed before He starts His public ministry.
Many of us try to earn God’s love through our own efforts. We think repentance is proving ourselves again. Matthew 3 offers a different picture. Repentance is returning to the One who already delights in us. It is laying down the things that pull us away so we can live as people who are deeply loved.
Take two minutes to reflect in silence.
Application
Take ten quiet minutes today. Ask God to show you one area where you have drifted. Not five. Not ten. Just one. Confess it honestly. Then remind yourself that you are not working your way back into His favor. You are responding to the love you already have. Let that truth guide your next step.