The Death in Regret

(Luke 9:62 KJV)  And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Of all of Satan’s tricks getting one to focus on their past has to be his slyest. The reason it is so effective is because it not only impedes one’s forward movement but it is also an invitation for regrets. If Satan can cause one to start regretting the sins that have already been forgiven then their power as an overcomer is weakened significantly.

There is no doubt that all of us have done things that we regret but to continue to focus on those things causes one to dilute their future and empower their past. It is a terrible thing when Satan convinces one that they are not worthy of God’s forgiveness because it robs them of the joy of their salvation. The fact is, condemnation lives very close to one’s front door and waits to be activated.

Some folks enjoy talking about their past sins and even laugh about how bad they were before they got saved. I was never able to do that because the last thing I want to do is laugh about the very things that helped put Jesus on the cross. If the Lord has forgiven me and has separated my sins from me as far as the east is from the west never to be remembered again then I do not want to remember then either.

It is not God’s will for us to make light of our past sins and neither is it His will that one lives a life of regret and condemnation. Living a life of regrets is refusing to accept God’s forgiveness.

Everyone has done things they wish they had never done but to live a life of regret for things they have no power to change is futile. Many people’s lives are cut short because of regrets, shame and self-condemnation. In other words, worrying makes one old before their time.

As a matter of fact, clinical studies have shown that regrets can trigger biological dysregulation of the hormone and immune systems that make people more vulnerable to develop clinical health problems.

I knew a beautiful lady a few years ago who was one of the most faithful people in church. She was highly respected by the church and by those who knew and loved her.

However, there was a point in her life that her family pressures got so bad that she began to give up and lose faith that God would actually heal her family problems. Over the next few years she drifted further and further away from the Lord and as a result she drifted into a life of sin.

When she finally came to herself and realized what she had done she began to repent for her sins. She knew that the Lord had forgiven her but she was never able to forgive herself and therefore this beautiful person lived a life of unworthiness. Her regrets finally drove her to committing suicide because the shame she felt was a burden that was too great for her to bare.

Who can live with the shame and condemnation that is produced by regrets…no one.

Father,

Teach us that being converted means dying to the past as the apostle Paul said and picking up a new life. Teach us that regret is an enemy that we cannot afford to make our friend. Thank You Lord that Your forgiveness and Your baptism is complete and nothing needs to be added.

Amen