A few years ago, I came across a book title by one of my favorite guitarists from when I was a teen. This was someone I knew had a history of drug & alcohol issues which led to a near-fatal car crash & a bitter exit from his band. His life was marked by divorce, debauchery, bad & self-destructive behavior. The title of his book? “NO REGRETS.” Really? Sure, he was wealthy & famous, but how can you say you wouldn’t change a thing about your past?! No shame or apologies? It’s a book about “confessing sins” but without contrition or seeking absolution. How narcissistic & delusional can you get?!
Do I have regrets in my life? Absolutely! There are so many things I would go back & change if I could. Who can say they’ve lived a mistake-free life, where every decision was the right one?
Maybe you’ve made life-changing decisions that still haunt you. It may have to do with substance abuse or sexual behaviors. Possibly it was about the college or career path you chose. It could involve the decision who to marry…which began with decisions about who to date. It may have been the choice to have a child or to “terminate” a child. Maybe you regret words you spoke in anger that can never be taken back. Regrets about missed opportunities, poor decisions, “If only’s”.
Some decisions are just youthful ignorance or just foolishness in retrospect. It’s part of being human. But other decisions are outright sinful. Most regrets may be centered around not pursuing the Lord’s will for your life. You wonder why you wasted so many years on things that didn’t matter. You wish you could go back & undo the wrongs you committed.
The Good News Jesus offers is that while you can’t change the past or fix everything that’s broken, you can choose now to live without further regret. You can find forgiveness through His mercy. You can experience cleansing through repentance. You receive a clean slate & fresh start (repeatedly!). The Holy Spirit provides power for changing. Scripture provides direction for doing better.
I know I’ll still make poor choices sometimes & do disappointing things, but I want to live in such a way that I’m better able to look back with fewer regrets. I want to ask that God will use even my regrets to help me learn, become wiser & shape me for good (Rom. 8:28), so that the title of my book instead of being “NO REGRETS,” could be “REGRETS RELIEVED.”
Paul wrote: “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves NO REGRET, but worldly sorrow brings death” (2 Cor. 7:10). When Jesus was arrested, regret over betrayal led Judas to suicide. But regret over denial led Peter to repentance & restoration. Don’t let your regrets overwhelm you. Seek forgiveness. Find relief in grace. Walk in the hope of what’s to come! “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14).