Godly vs. Worldly sorrow

"You're not sorry you did it, you're sorry you got caught!" How many times have you heard that phrase? Maybe you've said it. Maybe you've had it said to you. You've read it in books, you've heard it in movies, your friends and family have all experienced this very phrase.

There is a difference between hating your sin and hating your punishment. The difference is your heart. The sorrow of getting caught is inherently selfish. You don't care about the effects your sin has on others, only the effects it has on you. Nothing changes in your heart. You would probably repeat the sin if you could get away with it this time. This is the sorrow of the world.

Godly sorrow, by contrast, is unselfish. Even if you don't get caught, even if there are no obvious consequences, you still regret the fact that you have offended a perfect and Holy God. So you actively seek to change. You aren't trying to escape consequences, you're repenting. That's genuine sorrow. It's that which God is looking for, so Paul ultimately says "look, I don't want you to feel bad, but I don't want you to keep going as you are either. I'd rather you feel bad and change than feel great and keep going, so if this letter makes you uncomfortable, good. Change." So, let's take his advice. Let our sin break our hearts, and move towards a better, Godly attitude.