Revive Me #19–Turn Your Regrets Around

Revive Me, Week 19–A Year of Growing Stronger in the Lord

Turn Your Regrets Around

We will be celebrating our youngest son’s graduation from high school next week.  For the past several weeks I’ve been fighting a slight panic, a nagging feeling that I’ve left some things undone and untaught.  How did this moment get here so quickly?  How have I run out of time already?

I shared these thoughts with Kathy Petrillo last night, a wise mother who is a few years ahead of me.  She promptly said, “There’s still time.”  I blinked, and then I smiled.  Of course!  Thank you, Kathy Petrillo!

There’s still time.  We’re not promised a tomorrow (James 4:14) but we have today.

I imagine we all have some regrets.  It’s encouraging to read about individuals in the Bible who surely had regrets but still continued to serve God to the best of their ability.  David sinned in his relationships but secured the best relationship of all by being “a man after God’s own heart.”  How?  God knew David would “do all His will” (Acts 13:22).  Paul went from persecuting the Lord’s church to loving the Lord’s church.  I can imagine a brother asking, “Paul, how do you deal with your regrets?”  Paul would answer, “One thing I do:  forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on…” (Phil. 3:13,14). He would go on to say, “Let us therefore…have this attitude.”

How can we turn our regrets around?

1.  Do all God’s will
2.  Forget what lies behind
3.  Reach forward to what lies ahead
4.  Maintain this attitude

I’m still not ready for my last son to leave the nest.  I know I missed opportunities and messed up many times.  Satan wants me to get bogged down in the “if onlys.”  God wants me to press ahead.

“You can’t wring your hands and roll up your sleeves at the same time.”

(Pat Schroeder)

Suggestions for the week:

1.  Paul said, “Join in following my example” (Phil. 3:17).  What “goal” was he pressing toward (v. 14)?  Write down what goal you’re pressing toward.
2. Perhaps, like me, you have some things in your past you’d like to forget.  Is there anything you need to do before you can turn those regrets around?  Do you need to ask for someone’s forgiveness?  Do you need to make something right, if possible?
3. Bible-mark “Haunted by the Past.”
4. Ask God to help you let go of the past so you can pursue the opportunities you have in the present.

Read it.  Memorize it.  Live it.

Author: Kathy Pollard

I'm a Christian woman, happily married to my best friend, Neal. We have 3 grown sons, Gary, Dale, and Carl, and 3 sweet daughters-in-law, Chelsea, Janelle, and Emily. Neal preaches for the Lehman Ave. church of Christ in Bowling Green, KY. We love the Lord and His church! View all posts by Kathy Pollard