February 24, 2023

Living Life Without Regrets

2 Corinthians 7:10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret but worldly sorrow brings death. (NIV)
Colossians 1: 9-10 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. (NIV)

Have you said or done something you wish you could take back? Sometimes it is not something we’ve said or done that we regret, but something we have not done or wished we had done. We regret missed opportunities or failings. Regrets come in many shapes and sizes. In the above scripture reference, Paul talks about Godly sorrow and worldly sorrow. With Godly sorrow we have sadness at offending God. We repent and try to become a morally better person. Worldly sorrow on the other hand revolves around the pain that sin causes oneself, rather than God. It fears the consequences of punishment, but does not aim to improve moral well-being.

Even our Biblical heroes had regrets. Paul, a great persecutor of the early Christians, approved of the stoning of Stephen to death. David, a man after God’s heart, was a murderer and adulterer. Peter denied Christ three times and yet Jesus asked him three times to ‘feed my sheep.’ Each of these Biblical heroes turned their regrets into repentance and lived a life of purpose that brought honor and glory to God.

To get beyond regret we need to seek a ‘God intervention’ to lead us to change. God desires to restore us. He has given us the Holy Spirit to intercede for us.
Some keys that help me deal with regrets include the following:
•    knowing what God wants from me by studying his holy word.
•    following God’s laws which teach us how to live happily, peacefully, and abundantly.
•    following the example of Christ.
•    seeking the positive and being the positive.
•    living a life of purpose.
•    asking if what I do will please God and bring him honor and glory.

We cannot undo the past, but, with God’s help, we can live well despite regrets, because God in his grace and mercy forgives us and leads us to be a better person.

Prayer: Guide me to live a life without regrets. Thank you for your mercy and grace when I fail.

Prayer Focus: For those struggling with regret.

Pat Deck