The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.

— Genesis 6:6

Ancient Greek philosophers imagined a perfect supreme being. It would know everything and be in control of everything. It could not be influenced by people or other creatures, because that would imply weakness or lack of control. It could not have emotions or be truly responsive to humans. The Greeks called this supreme being God.

The early Christian church developed in a world that was heavily influenced by this Greek thinking. So Christian theologians often used those ideas to explain Christian teachings to Greek-minded people. Even today, our concepts of God tend to be influenced by those perspectives.

So when we come to a passage like Genesis 6:6, we might think, “What?! God regretted what he had done? He changed his mind? Human sin hurt God to the depths of his heart?” That doesn’t fit well with our Greek-minded ideas of a perfect supreme being. So we try to explain such verses away and not take them at face value.

But God wants us to realize that our actions—good and bad—affect him. When I hurt a friend, that puts a barrier between me and that person. Similarly, our wrongs against God set up a barrier between us and him. As we confess our sins to God and receive his forgiveness through Jesus, let’s pause and realize that those sins have truly hurt him.

My sins have hurt you, Lord, and I’m sorry. Please work in me by your Holy Spirit so that my thoughts, words, and actions can bring you joy. In Christ, Amen.