Daily Delight
When I was a relatively new Christian, my then-not-yet-boyfriend said in passing, “I don’t believe in having regrets. Regrets are inconsistent with what being a Christian is,” I remember being taken aback. My days often revolved around ‘should’ve’s and ‘could’ve’s and if you’re like me, you’ll understand what it’s like to stand under the shower replaying conversations that could have gone another way or to have frustration grip you as you lie in bed thinking about missed opportunities.
Years on, this can still be a challenge for me, from the self-reproach over day-to-day affairs to a sense of guilt in having disobeyed or ‘failed’ God. But I’ve come to realize that the redemptive power of the Cross lies not in denying that we experience regrets or ‘to just move on’ but that in Christ, we can face them courageously and prayerfully. Denying our regrets exist can lead to having a divided heart. We become ‘happy Christians’ on the outside burdened with crippling regret on the inside. This is inconsistent with what being a Christian who has been saved by grace is. Salvation means stepping up to the challenge of examining our hearts because we know there is no condemnation in Christ. Salvation means knowing that Jesus Christ will reclaim, redeem and repurpose each regret as we surrender our lives to Him. Salvation means being spurred by the power and wisdom of His Spirit vested in us towards His way of life.
Regrets can be the seeds of spiritual maturity if we let God the space to work in our lives. Too often, we allow the Enemy power over us in condemnation of the hidden, self-directed achings of our heart. Instead, let us look to the example of the psalmist today. “I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed," (Psalm 34:4-5, ESV).
