How to Fix a Fix-it Mentality with True Repentance
I consider myself a full-fledged DIY-er. I once painted kitchen cabinets, re-matted and framed antique paper dolls, covered dining room chairs, and made my own ottoman out of a coffee table. With access to the internet and YouTube, anyone can be a DIY-er.
Years ago, my husband and I spent the day with friends exploring small towns. We left early in the morning, and late in the afternoon we received an odd phone call from our son wondering when we would get home. We later discovered he had somehow knocked the powered garage door off its track, and he was frantically fixing it with the help of YouTube.
Israel’s Fix-it Story
The Israelites had a fix-it story. You can read it in the Bible, in Numbers 13-14, and also in Deuteronomy 1. The Israelites arrived at the outskirts of the Promised Land after traveling through the desert. They sent twelve spies into the Promised Land to gather necessary information so they could plan their next move.
When the spies returned, they gave a glowing report about the land God promised them with one exception. The Promised Land had giants. Ten of the twelve spies believed it was unwise to move forward and take possession of the land.
The Israelites chose to follow the advice of the ten spies instead of the Lord’s command to take possession. God called them out on their disobedience and commanded them to wander the wilderness for the next forty years. Their children would inherit the Promised Land, but those who were 20 years of age or older forfeited their opportunity.
The Israelites tried to fix what they did wrong. They admitted they disobeyed, however they didn’t return to the wilderness, instead they put on all their battle gear and defiantly entered the Promised Land. Since God had told them to go a different direction, they disobeyed God’s command a second time. God did not go into battle with them, and the Amalekites and Canaanites soundly defeated the Israelites.
I Do it Myself
Do you have a fix-it story? A moment in time when you tried to do-it-yourself. Have you ever experienced a circumstance where you chose your definition of good over God’s definition of good, and then got caught? Were you sorry for what you did, or were you just sorry you had gotten caught?
If you’ve ever watched a toddler attempt to do something with a stubborn “I do it myself” attitude, I’m sure you’ve noticed some issues. The toddler often doesn’t have the skill yet to do the task alone. Sometimes, the toddler doesn’t have the strength, nor the ability to process the steps necessary to accomplish the task. Many times, the toddler gets in way over his head and stubbornly refuses help just because.
Therein lies the problem with the fix-it mindset. When we attempt to fix our sinful choices, we don’t have the skill to fix it, nor do we have the power to fix it. We allow our stubbornness to dominate and we become unwilling to repent. We may say we’re sorry, but repentance is more than being sorry.
Repentance
We learn in scripture about repentance and forgiveness. Repentance has three elements. First of all, we must own up to what we did wrong. First John 1:9 tells us we must confess our sins. When we do, God is faithful to forgive us.
Second, we must be shattered before God because of what we’ve done. King David tells us in Psalms 51:17, “The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God.” We must recognize we haven’t honored the One who created us, provides for us, and loves us. We must humble ourselves before the Sovereign King of Glory.
Third, we must return to God’s Lordship. The Hebrew word translated repent is sûb. This Hebrew word means to return, turn back. When we fully repent, we return to our commitment to honor God in all we do and say, even if that means we can’t avoid the consequences to our actions.
Only God
Only God can fix the wrong choices we make in our life. We may patch things here and there; however, we don’t fix the real issue. Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:8-9 we are saved by grace alone and not by anything we do. Jesus tells us in John 15:5 that without Him, we accomplish nothing.
When the Israelites went into fix-it mode, they weren’t confidently trusting God as their Lord. Instead, they allowed fear to dictate their choices. They were first afraid of the giants, and then they were afraid because they disobeyed God. They refused to humble themselves before God, and they attempted to gloss over what they did.
Sadly, we aren’t any different.
Living Sacrifice
Romans 12:1 says, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him.” (NLT)
Think about these questions. How often do you present yourself to God? When do you come clean with God? Do you just admit your sin, or do you also surrender your pride and control? Are you willing to sacrifice your life, allowing God to be Lord and choose what’s best?
Being Broken Isn’t Easy
I know it isn’t easy to fully own up to our sin. We struggle to humble ourselves in brokenness for a variety of reasons. Some of us fear God will reject us. Some of us fear others will judge us for what we did. Many of us fear the cost will be too great if we surrender our entire will to God.
As a proclaimed DIY-er, I know the fix-it mentality. When I maintain that attitude, it becomes very costly. I know I can fix a décor problem. However, I can’t fix what’s wrong in my soul. I must rely on God’s character, God’s love, God’s wisdom, and God’s truth.
Fixing the Fix It Mentality
When you find it difficult to fully repent, when you want to fix it, consider the wisdom of Proverbs 3.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead fear the LORD and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength in your bones.”
Proverbs 3:5-8 (NLT)
DIY Girl Photo by OPPO Find X5 Pro on Unsplash
