Regrets?

Obviously there’s no such thing as “no regrets” in a life. We may regret that decision about our summer job, the lemon we purchased that we thought was a reliable vehicle, or the cool roommate that turned into a terror.
All of us do or say things that we wish we hadn’t afterwards. Sometimes, immediately afterwards we apologize or blush at our stupidity, yet even when the offended party forgives us, we mentally kick ourselves for our mistakes. Sometimes we don’t realize our mistake until weeks, months, or even years later, then burn in frustration or personal disappointment at ourselves. Other times we hesitate to speak up to defend someone or something valuable. Other times we’re too insensitive to the depressed friend needing compassion or too self-absorbed to realize we’re ruining our Christian witness. Be it via commission or omission, we can all list those regrets, though most often we try to forget them as quickly as possible.
Understand that it’s impossible not to have regrets. Yet it is possible to live without regrets that cripple you psychologically or spiritually.
We all warm to the great American success stories of heroic people who never give up and someway, somehow overcome impossible obstacles to become Olympic champions, business tycoons, or even presidents of the United States. Yet, the reality is more often than not; our choices won’t lead to headlines and media interviews, but simply a life worth living.

Here are four points to learn how to live without regrets:

1. It’s vanity to think you won’t experience heartaches in life—Just because the American media insists everyone should remain happy, scripture tells us it rains on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). The sooner you recognize that fact, the sooner you can move on with life.
2. Forgiveness means forgiving yourself and others— Forgiveness is a continual choice you must make daily. It isn’t easy. Sometimes it isn’t realistic. But it’s always the best choice forward.
3. Remind yourself that your Life is in God’s Hands—Sometimes we forget we are not our own. Paul wrote, “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (I Corinthians 6:19). By choosing to follow Christ, we must trust that He has our best interests in mind for the long term.
4. Continue to Set Goals to Achieve Excellence for the Kingdom of God.

It’s impossible not to make mistakes and create regrets. It is possible to live a life with no regrets—you just must choose to deny the natural guilt and bitterness that setbacks can create in everyone. We must refuse pity; we must constantly seek to place our lives in God’s hands—no matter how it looks to us in the short term.