Let’s play with the double entendre (e.g., word or phrase with two meanings) “emotional repentance” for a moment. Many readers may be thinking, “My emotions are already down, why do you want me to repent? How does feeling bad about feeling bad help me feel any better?” The difficulty with this logic is that it confuses “feeling bad about something” with repentance; God does not forgive us because we are emotionally self-lacerating. That is masochism not the gospel.

The image behind the Hebrew word for repent is “U-turn.” When we repent we change directions. In step three, you came to understand the motive behind your anxiety-depression. In this step, you will turn from those empty-promising idols back to the God who wants to be your refuge, hope, strength, and Savior.

Until you grasp this picture of God and repentance, this step will feel like you’re being asked to fight fire with fire; depression with despair or fear with desperation. After you grasp what God is offering you will realize it is like putting down a glass of salt water for a glass of fresh water.

To help you on this part of your journey, we will examine repentance in three ways.

1. To Whom Are You Repenting?
2. Key Elements of Repentance
3. A Sample Prayer of Repentance

In the first section we want you to see that repentance is a relationship before it is an activity. In the second section we want you to understand the actions that comprise complete repentance. In the final section we want to help you get used to talking to God this way about your depression-anxiety.

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