How to Overcome Regret

We all have regrets.

For some it might just be their marriage.

Or their parenting.

Or their finances.

Or poor decisions they have made.

Or dealing with your friends or extended family.

Sometimes it can be all the above.

And sometimes the regretfulness can just swallow you up whole and affect every area of your life.

But what are some principals from the Bible that give us hope and that we can apply to our regret?

Let's look at them:


1. HE KNOWS AND FORGIVES US


"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

We need to remember that we are sinners in need of a Savior and nothing we do will ever be perfect. which is why we need a Savior.





2. DON'T LIVE WALLOWING IN YOUR REGRET

"Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead..."

Don't become paralyzed by your regret. Move ahead. If you need to repent, then repent. If you need to make things right then do it. But move forward and don't live in the valley. 

3. LOOK WITH HOPE TO THE FUTURE

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."


Hold with hope to the promise of His word. Look to Him and keep your eyes on Him. He gives us hope for the future. Read His word, worship Him, give Him thanks and praise and grow in your walk with Him. 


4. BE AWARE

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."

Don't be consumed by your regret. Place it in His hands. Don't be tempted to sin or gravitate towards self-pity or unhealthy thoughts but give Him thanks for all He has done. 




I love what  Nancy Leigh Demoss Wolgemuth has to say about it and preaching the gospel to ourselves--this is definitely worth a listen:







Do you need more encouragement on this topic? We recommend If I Could Do It All Over Again: 




We've all thought about it at some point: What if I could go back in time and do it all over again? If there were a way, we each have decisions we would change, regrets we would erase, and mistakes we would undo.

If I Could Do It All Over Again explores the concept of a "do-over" through insightful interviews with more than two dozen respected Christian leaders, including Tim Keller, Anne Graham Lotz, Michael W. Smith, Joni Eareckson Tada, and Ravi Zacharias.

Like an intimate conversation over a cup of coffee, these leaders transparently share stories of their struggles, triumphs, and failures through the lens of God's grace and redemption.

You can find this book HERE. 








How have you overcome regret?






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