Regrets

Regrets

My Question for God

There are a lot of things in my past that I regret doing. How can I get over those regrets?

A Moment with God

[Jesus said,] “I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.”

Matthew 16:18

Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came over and said to him, “You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.” But Peter denied it in front of everyone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. “I don’t even know the man,” he said. A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said, “You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent.” Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the man!” And immediately the rooster crowed. Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he went away, weeping bitterly.

Matthew 26:69-75

Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

2 Corinthians 5:17

If the memories and experiences of our lives were rocks, collected and carried in a backpack, surely guilt and regret would be among the heaviest. A sense of guilt is the legitimate spiritual response to sin; regret is the sorrow over the consequences of your decisions, both those that are sinful and those that are simply unfortunate. God promises to remove the guilt of all who seek his forgiveness, but he does not prevent the consequences of your sin. It is the weight of regret over those consequences that weighs you down. God promises to help you deal with your regrets so that you can move on without carrying a load of guilt. When you come to faith in Jesus, he forgives your sins—all of them. He chooses not to remember your past, and he gives you a fresh start. You will still have to live with the consequences of your sins, because they cannot be retracted. But because God forgives you, you can move forward without the tremendous guilt that can accompany regret. Because God no longer holds your sins against you, you can be free from self-condemnation. Regrets can be so enslaving that they consume your thoughts and keep you from serving God. If Peter had continued to focus on his regret over denying Jesus, he would never have been able to preach the Good News so powerfully. Don’t let regret paralyze you; instead, let God’s forgiveness motivate you to positive action for him in the future. It is a divine moment when you truly grasp the power of God’s forgiveness, because then you are able to turn your regrets into resolve.

Divine Promise

David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it: “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin.”

Romans 4:6-8