So you’ve made a big mistake, wasted an opportunity, wish you could go back in time and do things differently. Regret things. Regret can be a helpful feeling because it spurs us on to do better next time. But God doesn’t want us to live lives weighed down by regret. There are three things you can do to handle it: 1) Recall. Stop and think about the actions, thoughts, and emotions that drove you to do what you did. Take an honest inventory of your mistakes. When Adam was confronted with his sin, he hid in the bushes. When David was confronted with his, he said, ‘I’m guilty before God.’ Follow David’s example – accept you’ve made a mistake. You don’t need to make excuses to God. He already understands. 2) Repent. Say sorry. The Bible says, ‘Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret’ (2 Corinthians 7:10 NIV). Sometimes you might say sorry just because it’s the expected response. But when you truly regret something, ‘sorry’ comes from your heart, and that’s when God can step in to change you and make everything new. 3) Refocus. One of the Bible’s central themes is ‘resurrection’. That means you can rise again. The Bible describes God this way: ‘Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.’ Treat every day as a clean, new opportunity to do amazing things for His glory. That’s how God sees it.
What Now?
Grab a notebook and write down anything you do (or don’t do) through the day that you regret. At the end of the day, take your list to God. Tomorrow morning, rip the page out, and start the day with a brand new page.
