Regrets – I’ve Had A Few — Morning Devotions

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Transcript

It’s so true that often fear keeps us where we are. We continue to give in to this illusion that staying where we are is uncomfortable and maybe as heartbreaking as it is, is easier. Every time you say or do something that you’re fearful of, the very thing loses its power over you. Renowned writer CS Lewis is reported to have said, we can’t go back and change the beginning, but we can start where we are and change the ending. I think one of the hardest things for us to leave behind is regret.

We tend to carry it with us through life, those constant thoughts. If only I’d done this or I’d not done that, or if only I had been this, if only I’d known, or if I’d been there, I wouldn’t have been so selfish. We can regret missed opportunities and say if only, or I wish I would not have done that. Some regrets are due to mistakes or we don’t have enough knowledge at the time. I’m sure you’ve experienced something like that. Regret can be defined as sorrow or remorse over something that’s happened or that you’ve done, and we all have regrets of some kind.

Regret can steal away the time and energy we have today

If you make moves and take action towards the things you want, you will end up in a happier place than if you spend that energy lamenting over how you wished you’d done the things differently from the beginning. Or if we could only go back in a time machine to fix broken stuff from the past. But of course, we can’t. It’s like dead weight, those things that hold us back. Sometimes we can even feel stuck and become victims of the past. Too much pain, too much disappointment.

The reality is that we all must live with the mistakes we’ve made. We don’t have the power to undo our mistakes. Time machines don’t exist, they never will, except in movies. And then there are those who say, I know God forgives me, but I can’t forgive myself. It’s not because they don’t want to change, it’s because they cannot change without help from God. Jesus came to start a new beginning. This is what St. Paul said, as recorded in 2 Corinthians. When anyone lives in Christ, the new creation has come. The old is gone. The new is here.

Something wonderful happens when we invite Jesus into our lives, because the past regrets can be dealt with. In Christ everything becomes new. We can be renewed by the teachings of Jesus Christ, who wants to always give us a new beginning, but it’s about the past or the damaged past and the thought, ‘Who do you think you are?’ But next time when you hear that question, answer it like this I am the beloved precious child of God. I’m a beloved son and daughter of God. God’s word says the old is gone.

So I’ll say it again, regrets are inevitable, but they are forgivable. They can be instructional. What have you learned about your past mistakes? Hopefully a new meaning of contentment.

One writer has put it like this: Contentment means being at peace with the unchangeable choices, circumstances, and mistakes of my life. The only way you can be at peace with these mistakes that you’ve made is when you understand and trust in the sovereignty of God. What does the sovereignty of God mean? It means that God is in control. He’s in control of everything that happens in this universe and everything that happens in your life and my life. He knows.

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Only watches over our steps. He watches over our missteps and our stumbles. He’s greater than our mistakes and the unwise decisions we make. God is so powerful, so good and loving that he can take the worst mistakes that we made, even the worst sins we commit, and he can use them for good and for His glory. God can cause all things to work together for good to those that love Him and for those who are called according to His purpose.

What does God want you to do with your regrets? Admit your guilt. Own up. Don’t make excuses. The Bible says a man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful, but if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance in Proverbs 28.

Accept the forgiveness of Christ. He is waiting to clean the slate. Ask Him to clear your conscience. Forgive yourself and focus on the future. Isaiah 43:18-19 says forget about what’s happened. Don’t keep going over old history. Be alert. Be present. I’m about to do something brand new. It’s bursting out. Don’t you see it? There it is. I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands.

Let’s Pray

Sometimes, Lord, we do get stuck in the past. Our minds go over and over, the things that we’ve said or done, even the terrible things that we may have done, but through Jesus and the blood of Jesus, you cleanse us from all sin. We thank you for the reality of a new beginning. Amen.