Sometimes, choices from past lives seem to haunt us, buffet us, and plague us for years. These decisions, so deeply ingrained in our thoughts and souls, have a way of resurfacing at the most inconvenient moments. For me, it’s when I had a big success or was up for something big and daunting. That’s when my past starts reminding me I’m not who I want to be because I’ve messed up so much in the past. Everyone has those sorts of sins in their past, and learning from Christian regret helps us not let them hold us back in our present or future states.
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Still, these memories of my past shortcomings loom. I’ll bet you’ve had them too.
They constantly remind us of our past, evoking intense emotions that we believed were long behind us. It’s as if these echoes from the past choose to revisit us, uninvited and compel us to relive those moments once again.
The grip of the past can feel suffocating, silencing us and preventing us from fully embracing the present. Why is it so difficult to break free from these torments, regrets, and remorse that cling to us? In my learning from Christian regret or repentance, I begin to break free from those old mistakes. But, again, why is it so hard???
Perhaps it’s because our past choices have shaped us and profoundly impacted who we are today. They reflect our deepest fears, hopes, desires, and vulnerabilities. Even if we have made better decisions since then, it is challenging to erase the scars left by our past mistakes completely.
That is the difference between learning from our regrets in a Christian way and growing bitter, or insecure because of them.
Living without regret as a Christian
There is a beauty of learning from Christian regret.
But there is hope. Breaking free from the weight of the past doesn’t mean forgetting or denying our past experiences. It doesn’t mean we ignore the missteps as though they never happened.
It means learning to accept them and glean valuable lessons from them. Every decision we’ve made and every path we’ve taken has contributed to our growth and development as individuals. It is under the blood of Jesus and is forgiven. It’s moving past them and walking toward who you can be in Christ. That’s what I think learning from Christian regret is.
Don’t run from your past…Love it!
By acknowledging and accepting our past, we can start to transform how we perceive it.
Rather than seeing it as an ongoing burden, we can learn to view it as valuable teaching. Each past error or failure is an opportunity to grow, become a stronger Woman of God, and choose a different path in the future.
It’s also important to remember that our past mistakes do not define us. We have the power to change and evolve as human beings.
Every day is a fresh opportunity to make better choices, pursue our passions, and fulfill our deepest dreams. It’s a new day to take advantage of fresh grace and unused mercy!
So, don’t let your past choices haunt you indefinitely. Take the time to forgive yourself and permit yourself to let go all while learning from Christian regret.
In doing so, you open the door to a future filled with infinite possibilities and lasting happiness.
Learning from Christian regret helps us keep the proper perspective without “beating” ourselves up as we grow.
Further complicating the issue is the enemy’s willingness to beat us down with guilt until we feel condemned and hopeless.
In case you didn’t know, condemnation is not God’s will for our lives at all. Not even a little bit.
Check out this definition of the word “condemn”:
1.: to declare to be reprehensible, wrong, or evil, usually after weighing evidence and without reservation
(read Romans 5:1, 10:9-10, 8:33)
2. : to pronounce guilty
(check out Colossians 2: 13-14, Luke 6:37)
3. To adjudge unfit for use or consumption
(God has a purpose and destiny for you!)
Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/condemning?show=0&t=1313272078
I learned from Christian regret and viewed it the “right” way.
Regeneration, not condemnation…that’s the way!
The work of the Holy Spirit is to:
(a) convict us of sin,
(b) reveal and remind us of God’s word/plan while, (c) guiding us back to right standing with God through godly sorrow. (Read 2 Cor. 7:10)
“….Then neither do I condemn you, “Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
John 8:11
God never condemns, in fact, He frees you from it! Instead of condemnation, the Holy Spirit convicts us in our spirit. We feel something that “THAT’S NOT GOOD, APOLOGIZE!!!” Or “Maybe you shouldn’t do that…”
Conviction has a solid purpose to help us change and be more like Jesus – not beating us over the head with failure until we feel useless.
He doesn’t want me to regret my mistakes as much as He wants me to learn from them…or to stop before I do them.
Yeah, He heals, renews, and redeems. Good news, huh?
I think Christian regret has a positive side.
I’ve heard people, some famous and some unknown, say “I don’t have any regrets”. In my opinion, a root of arrogance rests deep within this popular statement.
Hmmmm….
I almost agreed with that statement until I measured it against the word of God and my Christian experience.
Gotta have it…
You see, the cornerstone of true repentance is to acknowledge wrong while being humble enough to let the shame propel you toward change.
Good regret says “WOW! I blew it. I want to be better and I will be better.
The “right” kind of regret and Godly sorrow heals, forgives, and brings about change. We can’t ignore it or act as though it doesn’t exist! Read through the Psalms (esp. 51) and see how godly regret can look.
If I’m not learning from Christian regret…
If you don’t learn from the regret, you risk a hardened heart and a reprobate mind. As a matter of fact, true repentance is a component of true regret.
Repentance means changing your path to be better. How can you get there unless you feel your path was wrong?
The bottom line about Christian regret and change…
All this to say, if you have fallen short of God’s plan, make haste to repent (stop, redirect, and change paths).
Then watch God cleanse you, strengthen you, and make all things new in your life!
You may once say, “I wish I hadn’t done that, but I’m so glad I did because God used it to teach me about grace, forgiveness, and a fresh start.
That’s how I see it, anyway.
Some of the Bible verses I’ve referenced:
Romans 5:1 New International Version (NIV)
Peace and Hope
5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Romans 10:9-10 New International Version (NIV)
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
Romans 8:33 New International Version (NIV)
33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.
Colossians 2:13-14 New International Version (NIV)
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you[a] alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.
Luke 6:37 New International Version (NIV)
Judging Others
37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
you speak truth. We must acknowledge to God that He is right and we are wrong so to say we have no regrets is definitely arrogance in my opinion…thanks for sharing another thoughtful post….