WHAT DO YOU REGRET?

WHAT DO YOU REGRET?

 

God is aware of all your regrets, and he wants you to admit

them, learn from them, make restitution (if needed), and move

on. He knows that your deepest regrets can become the best

part of your testimony about his grace. Regardless of what

you’ve done in the past, let today steer you away from a life of

shame and into one of rejoicing in the chance to start over. If

you stay focused on your regrets after having confessed them,

repented of them, and been forgiven, you will miss the blessings

God has planned for you. Put your regrets behind you,

and make the contribution to this world that he reserved for

you to make.

 

REGRETS BEGET REGRETS

 

People commonly regret that they did not forgive someone

before he or she died, or that they did not tell that person about

Jesus. Has that happened to you, or is your biggest regret more

centered around an incident of poor parenting or that you

ignored a friend’s cry for help? Some women regret a lie they

told or a time they cheated or stole. What behavior has caused

regret in your life? A moral failure, abandoned dreams, cowardly

behavior, a spiteful act, or boasting? Was it that you were

too busy to enjoy family outings, made a poor decision based

on insufficient information, hurt someone out of jealousy, were

stubborn, or blamed someone else for your mistake? Did you

participate in a cover-up, get fired for not being honest, or give

in to sinful peer pressure? Is your biggest regret that you have

not forgiven yourself or that you have lived with anger for too

long? Which of your regrets actually begot another regret? Lisa

Smith-Batchen, a multi-sport, adventure-racer and one of the

world’s top ultra-distance, endurance athletes, had an unusual

regret that gave her a second chance to make it right.

 

LISA SMITH-BATCHEN GIVES HER REGRETS TO GOD

 

Lisa holds a master’s degree in health education and fitness;

she has been a personal trainer, coach, and massage therapist

for more than fifteen years. She and her husband are the proud

parents of two children, whom they adopted within six months

of each other. One of her favorite endeavors is motivational

speaking on the topic of “Find a Godly Dream and Chase It

Down.” Anyone would tell you that Lisa is an incredibly loving

and compassionate woman, who seeks to please God in all

she does.

 

God has enabled Lisa to challenge her mind, body, and soul

to race hundreds of miles each year, while in the process raising

money to feed thousands of starving children. She plans to

continue to do so as long as God wills it, because she wants to

inspire others to have Mother Teresa–sized dreams to save the

children of the world.

 

Because Lisa believes in finishing what she starts, she regretted

not completing one particular journey she started, that is,

running three hundred miles through California’s Death Valley.

So, one blistering hot summer, Lisa set out on what she called

her “journey of completion.” As she crossed the finish line, she

put the regret behind her.

 

She says, “What you decide to do with your regrets is the

ultimate test of your character. Rebounding from regrets will

make you a woman of godly character. There is no regret in

your life that God cannot turn into a gift and a growth experience.

It’s reflecting on the setbacks in life that makes you see

how far you’ve really come.”

 

What Do You Regret? Judas Regretted His Sin

 

Judas had the greatest regret known to man; that is, betraying

the Son of God. Because of that sin, Judas hung himself.

Read Matthew 27:1–10. Each one of us, by our own sins, also

betrayed Jesus and caused his crucifixion. What percentage of

time do you live a life filled with various regrets—big or small—

rather than living the redeemed life that Christ intended?

 

SCRIPTURE TO PONDER

 

You don’t want to end your life full of regrets, nothing

but sin and bones, saying, “Oh, why didn’t I do what they told me?

Why did I reject a disciplined life? Why didn’t I listen to my

mentors, or take my teachers seriously? My life is ruined!

I haven’t one blessed thing to show for my life!”

(Proverbs 5:11–14, MSG)

 

SUGGESTED PRAYER

 

Dear Lord, I, _________, don’t want to end my life full of

regrets, nothing but sin and bones, saying, “Oh, why didn’t I

do what wise instructors told me? Why did I reject a disciplined

life? Why didn’t I listen to my mentors, or take my teachers

seriously? My life is ruined! I haven’t one blessed thing to show

for my life!” Today I pray that I will chase down my godly

dream, so I will not live in regret that I missed the opportunity

to do so. Take my regrets—all of them—and restore my life with

a clean slate. Thank you that you allow me to start over again

and again and again.

 

So . . . What Insight, Prayer, or Action Step Has God Laid on Your Heart Today?