A friend shared these words of wisdom that I found inspiring and beneficial to reflect upon. I hope you will too.
NO amount of REGRET
changes the past.
When we think about regrets, it is safe to say that we all have our fair share of them because they are a normal part of life. Regrets are either the result of us realizing we did something sinful, maybe unintentionally, or thinking that we made wrong choices with decisions we have made. The most important thing is to not get stuck dwelling on all our regrets. No matter how much regret we have, it does not have the power to change the past. What if we looked at our regrets with grace knowing we did the best we could at the time with the knowledge we had?
Have you considered that even God had regrets?
The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. –Genesis 6:5-8 (NIV)
In Hebrew, the word ‘regret’ translates to ‘sigh.’ We know God does not make mistakes, so we can interpret this passage as God feeling sorrow for the direction this world was going. Since God is omniscient, He knew sin would have consequences. Sin grieves His heart, as He wants to have constant fellowship with us, His beloved. We know God had Noah and his family build an ark to keep them and all of creation that God instructed them to bring on the ark, thus saving the human race.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. –1 John 1:9 (NIV)
If our regrets are caused by sin, we should confess them and repent so we can live in freedom from the past. God forgives and forgets; so should we.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. –Romans 8:28 (NIV)
One thing to remember about regret is that God is still God, and He can make good out of our choices.
Photo courtesy of Javcon117* under Creative Commons License (CC BY-SA 2.0)
NO amount of ANXIETY
changes the future.
In our humanness, it is natural to have some anxiety. We never know what the future holds, and we know there are several variables that factor in. When we know we can’t control things, I believe we have more anxiety. But, no matter how much anxiety we incur, it does nothing to change the future! What if, when we start to feel that anxiety build up, we say, “Jesus, I trust in you. I know you love me, care for me, and provide everything I need.”
Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? –Matthew 6:26-27 (ESV)
Jesus assures us that we, as humans, are even more valuable than the birds of the air that He looks after. Birds don’t have minds like we do, so they don’t have any worries or anxieties and cannot plan ahead. God provides food for the birds as they live moment by moment. Jesus reminds us that anxiety does not help us accomplish anything, and He values us even more than the birds.
For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The Lord always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does. –Psalm 145:13 (NLT)
A great antidote to anxiety is to abide with Christ and stand on His promises that we find in Scripture. He is a promise keeper, and we can always depend on Him.
Photo courtesy of BK under Creative Commons License (CC BY-SA 2.0)
ANY amount of GRATITUDE
changes the present.
Especially when we are going through difficult times, any amount of gratitude we can muster can help change our attitude in the present. What a gift it is to celebrate the present with hearts full of gratitude for even the smallest of blessings that God graces us with. The more we are able to see gratitude, the more we see God’s goodness in our world.
The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. –Acts 16:22-26 (NIV)
Imagine being Paul or Silas, who were just stripped, flogged with rods, thrown into prison, and their feet put in stocks. Despite their desperate circumstances, they were present in the moment and decided to give glory and praise, a form of gratitude, to God by praying and singing hymns to Him! I’m not so sure I would be doing that at that moment. That led to the jailer and his whole family being saved when he took Paul and Silas to his house to tend to their wounds that night. Even more amazing to me is that Paul and Silas returned to jail by morning so that the jailer would not get in trouble. What a beautiful testament to how gratitude in all circumstances changes the present.
Be encouraged this week to reflect on how…
…no amount of regret changes the past, but God can use it for good.
…no amount of anxiety changes the future, but Jesus keeps His promises.
…cultivating a spirit of gratitude betters your present.
REFLECTION:
When was a time you saw God make good out of a regret you had?
When did you exercise a spirit of gratitude despite difficult circumstances?
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. –1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 (ESV)
