Purify Your Mind Series (Part 2) by Joe KirbyNäide

Godly Sorrow Versus Worldly Sorrow

In Psalm 51 David says, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise” (51:17). Why does he say that? Because God wants us to mourn over our sins. There is a brokenness, a godly sorrow, that the Lord will not shun; it will move His heart to have compassion on us. But what is the difference between godly sorrow and worldly sorrow? Godly sorrow leads to action, to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, who changes us and enables us to turn away from our wickedness. But sadly, I believe many of us are trapped in the wrong kind of sorrow—worldly sorrow. Worldly sorrow is all about self. Suppose a Christian man battling a pornography addiction falls on Saturday, and on Sunday begins to feel resentment. Angry that he wasted the evening, he feels self-pity and mutters words to himself like, “I’m so pathetic; I deserve hell.” They feel helplessness, guilt, shame—and if they get caught in this cycle, it leads to depression.

You may ask, “How can you be so diagnostic, Joe?” I think you know why! The day I stopped looking at myself and looked to Christ was the day victory became attainable. New schedules, accountability partners, and sermons definitely helped. But until my love for Christ outgrew my love for myself, I wasn’t ready to repent. Let our sorrow be founded not upon self-centeredness but on realizing that Jesus suffered tremendously on the cross for our sin.