Wallowing in Regret

How many of us have regrets in life? I wish I would have gone to school there instead. I should have chosen a different major. If only I would have taken that job. Why in the world did I choose to marry him? We should have bought the house in that neighborhood. I wish I wouldn't have said that to him. If only I hadn't gotten addicted to that.Yes, we all have regrets, wish I had have, and only if's in our life. Some more than others. Some more extreme than others... but we all have them.

My question for you today is how do you deal with your regrets? Are the consequences of bad decisions haunting you toward a life full of wallowing in regret? Are you consumed looking backwards instead of living in the present? Are you having a hard time forgiving other people in your life because you can't even forgive yourself?

I prayed this morning that God would give me words that SOMEONE needed to hear this morning. You see.. one of my regrets is that I have not been more faithful in this ministry that I know He has called me to. I can sit and be upset that I didn't follow through. I can spend hours worrying over doing the wrong thing.. but today is a time to stop looking backward and make one simple step forward TODAY! Today, I know that someone who is reading this needs to STOP wallowing in regret. Someone... maybe it is you, needs to remember that your slate is wiped clean and regret is only going to take up time that God could be using to reach another life for Him.

After I prayed I opened my Bible to Isaiah 44:21-22. It is underlined in my Bible and in the margin I have the words written, "Clean Slate." Today... YOU need to be reminded:

"...Take it seriously... that you're my servant. I made you and shaped you: You're my servant... I'll NEVER forget you. I've wiped the slate clean of ALL your wrongdoings. There's NOTHING left of your sins. Come back to me, come back. I've redeemed you."

If you are having regret... STOP. Hand it over to God. If you haven't repented, DO IT NOW! You cannot change the past, but you can change the course of today. Pick yourself up out of the pig pen of regret and come back to the reality of being wiped clean!

Take it seriously... you are God's servant. He shaped you. He knows about your past, it makes you who you are today. Take those regrets and turn them into reasons to minister to others today!