And he arose and came to his father. For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God. Luke 15:20; 1 Thessalonians 1:9 Yesterday, we saw that repentance is part of faith in Jesus Christ. It‘s an inner change of mind, a rethinking about God and about myself. After his change of mind, the young man in the parable of the prodigal son resolves, “I will arise and go to my father”. And he doesn’t stop at this resolution but puts it into action: he indeed rises and goes to his father. When the Bible speaks of conversion, it means this literal turning to God. Repentance has to do with our hearts: we think differently in our hearts when we repent. Conversion, on the other hand, has to do with our feet. In conversion, we – figuratively speaking – change the direction in which we are heading, and this becomes evident in our lives. Regarding the Christians in Thessalonica, it is said that they turned from idols “to serve the living and true God”. This example shows us what conversion is: on one side, the idols; on the other side, the living and true God. Idols are goals, desires, hobbies, friendships or things to which my heart clings and which hinder me from living entirely for God. And now I turn away from the idols and turn to the living and true God. Previously, I was on a path of life that led me away from God. Now I turn to God. I go a completely different way. I make a U-turn of 180 degrees. That is conversion. (to be concluded tomorrow) Today’s reading: Joshua 12:1-24 · 1 Corinthians 10:23-33 https://gbv-online.org/calendar/262/date/2026-08-11