Disclaimer: Don't misread what I'm about to write because I am a big fan of Godly repentance. In Psalm 51 David is in tears, broken to the core of his being at the fact that he let God down. He says that this is the sacrifice that God requires: a broken spirit and a contrite heart.
With that said, there is another aspect of a broken heart - and that's listening to God and doing what we didn't do or not doing what we did do. You know, the thing that caused us to be broken before Him in the first place.
In Haggai 1, the prophet lays it out hard on the people in Jerusalem, telling them to get to work. You've put your comfort above the work of God!! You have no satisfaction in your lives because you're tending to your own work while the Temple lies embarrassingly half-finished!!
Then they do something interesting: They do something. There is no record of a period of repentance, no record of a time of debate and discussion. There is nothing but a simple response: "Okay - well then let's finish it!" And they do, in a very quick amount of time.
I love this!!! When I encourage (yell at?) my kids to stop watching tv and start doing their homework, I don't want an hour of tears, I want an hour of homework!!! I don't want to hear all their 'buts . . .. " I want them to get off their "buts" and get to work.
Sometimes we just need to hear what God is saying and get up and do it. Or stop doing it. Really - sometimes it's as simple as that.
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