A start is not a finish …

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Half measures usually are a sure way of creating problems.

Imagine these half measures:

    • The fire truck that gets to the fire, but doesn’t break out the water hose.
    • The ambulance that drives up to the front of the hospital, but just parks there.
    • The surgeon who makes the cut, fixes the problem, but fails to stitch closed the incision.
    • The businessman who makes the sales pitches, but never closes a deal.
    • The parent who loves their children, but never disciplines them.
    • The person who expresses love, but refuses to receive love.
    • The Christian who daily reads their Bible, but never prays.

Such half measures would create severe problems. One of the most common half measures I’ve witnessed as a pastor and a clinical counselor are people who can and will easily apologize profusely for poor or even sinful behavior, but consistently fail to repent of such behavior.

It’s one thing to pour out your heart in an apology, it’s quite another to actually change one’s behavior, to repent.

Living in addiction is an extreme example of this type of behavior. Addicts often are deeply sorry, intellectually, for their behaviors in their addiction. But often not sincerely sorry enough to change their behavior. Their addiction will rule over them until they go beyond apologizing, to actually repenting.

This ugly half measure is described rather colorfully in Proverbs 26:11, “As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness.”

The Israelites of the Old Testament were often quick to apologize, but lacking in actual repentance. Hosea 6 captures this fact. In verses 1-3 we see the attitude of the people supposedly swing to God:

“Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces; now he will heal us. He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds. In just a short time he will restore us, so that we may live in his presence. Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.”

Sounds good! But God had heard such apologetic words from His people many times, often without genuine repentance accompanying the statements. Verses 4-7 record part of God’s response to these empty words:

“‘O Israel and Judah, what should I do with you?’ asks the Lord. ‘For your love vanishes like the morning mist and disappears like dew in the sunlight. I sent my prophets to cut you to pieces — to slaughter you with my words, with judgments as inescapable as light. I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings. But like Adam, you broke my covenant and betrayed my trust.'”

An apology is a good first step to real change. But an apology without changed behavior is an affront to a relationship, including our relationship with God.

Do your words match your actions? Has your apology to God included a change of behavior? Or are you still saying one thing and doing another?

Scotty