Turn Regrets Into Resolutions

If you have been on this planet more than a year, then you have incurred some regrets.  Regrets are those things which we feel sorry for having done or in some cases for things we have failed to do.  Regret is sorrow or mourning over the loss or death of someone or something.  Regrets can be brought on by our own action or inaction or they can come as a result of things beyond our control.  The universal truth is that no matter the cause of our regrets, they come to us all. 

            As I have looked back over my 2008 journals I find that there are many things that I regret.  I regret having lost several close friends and family members and my old beloved dog to the death angel.  I regret that half the people I’ve led to Christ have fallen back into to the world. I regret that many of the people who once were dedicated servants of God have relapsed into inactivity.  I regret that yet another year has passed and I still struggle with some of the same old sins, immaturity, and lack of personal discipline that have plagued me for decades.  I’ll bet your journals reflect similar regrets. 

            I’m all for leaving regrets behind!  Let’s get rid of them once and for all.  Let’s redeem those regrets and reclaim them as resolutions (today’s blog is sponsored by the letter R).  Using Scripture as the Source here is a five-point plan to turn those depressing regrets that do no one any good into dynamic resolutions that keep us focused and moving forward-honoring God with our lives. 

The Five “R’s” of Turning Regrets into Resolutions

1.       Rest.  If you are serious about turning regret into resolution you simply must slow down.  You are going to have to remove yourself from the hustle and bustle of life and get some refreshment for your mind, body and spirit.  There is absolutely no way you can do any serious internal work if you are fatigued.  Take a day, two or three would be better and just relax, take it easy, rest.  Don’t veg out in front of the TV or computer, but lay around, nap frequently, sleep in, sit in your rocker or recliner (the “R”words keep coming)and do nothing.  It will prepare you for the more serious work to come.  Creation was definitely not the end of God’s work, there was still quite a bit more to come.  Yet, even He (to set the example) rested and blessed and sanctified the Sabbath principle for all of us.

“And on the seventh day God finished His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work He had done.  So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all His work that He had done in creation.”     Genesis 2. 2-3

2.      Reflect.  This is where keeping a journal comes in handy.  You can just look back over what you have written in it the past year and be led into reflection.  If you aren’t a journal keeper, then it might be wise to take pen and paper and think back over the past 12 months each month at a time.  Or if monthly reflection proves to be a chore, maybe think in seasons, what was the winter, spring, summer, fall, like this year.  What happened or didn’t happen that has led me to have regrets?  What major life events occurred and how did I handle them?  What has my worship, discipleship, service, evangelism, and fellowship been like this past year?  What has my relationship with my family been like?  Just take some time and reflect on your life the past 365 days.  I’ll bet you have some regrets.

God spoke of the necessity of reflection through the prophet Haggai when He repeatedly commanded the people to “Consider your ways!”     Haggai 1.5, 7.

3.      Repent.  It does no good to do this kind of research into your soul if you aren’t going to try and change.  Repentance at its core means to have a change of mind or a change of heart.  It’s time to leave the regrets behind, but also we need to repent and not repeat any actions or inactions that caused the regrets in the first place.  Confession and repentance go together-it’s impossible to have one without the other.  We need to admit to God our part in creating regrets and make up our mind that with His help we aren’t going to repeat them.  As for the events beyond our control, repentance in this area may every well entail submitting yourself to God’s sovereignty and releasing yourself from trying to control the universe.  We could all very well harken to the words of the Wild Child of the Jordan River who had one message:

            “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”     Matthew 3.2

4.      Revise.  Now repentance involves changing you heart and mind-your attitude in other words.  Revision is restructuring your life in accordance with your new mindset.  To turn your regrets into resolutions your must revise.  One of the first rules of good writing is, revise, revise, revise, then revise some more!”  I believe that is equally applicable to life as well.  It is the height of arrogance to reach a place spiritually, mentally or physically and claim, “I have made it.  This is it.  I have reached the pinnacle and it’s all maintenance from here on out.”  The sad truth is this is the attitude of most Christians I know.  Revising a life is hard but it must be done-continuously.  Paul talked about revision when he wrote,

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing (in the Greek this is a Present Imperative, meaning a command that is to be an ongoing and never-ending) of your mind, that your may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

5.      Rededicate.  This last step is a close cousin to revision but entails acknowledging your weakness and the impossibility of turning regrets to resolutions without the supernatural assistance of the Holy Spirit.  Let’s face it, left to our own strength and devices we will fail every single time.  We must rededicate ourselves to living in the power of the Holy Spirit and trusting and depending on God to see us through life.  Rededication means we come back to God acknowledging Him as Lord and Savior and our Refuge and Strength.  Philippians 4.13 if oft quoted but seldom embraced, “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.”  This is the ultimate declaration of dependence and dedication to Jesus Christ.  Herein lays the strength to turn regrets into resolutions.  Resolutions, I might add that won’t show up on the regret list this time next year. 

What do you think?  What are some of your regrets?  Will you turn them into resolutions?