Tag Archives: Repentance

Beyond regrets

Leave a reply

 

An Australian palliative care nurse released an inspirational video citing from her experience, the Top Five Regrets of the Dying. Here they are:

1. Not being myself and not pursuing my dreams.

2. Having spent too much time at work, at the expense of those I loved.

3. Not having the courage to express my feelings.

4. Losing touch with my friends because I was so caught up in my own life.

5. I wish I would have allowed myself to be happier.

 

As I look back on my life, I associate with three of these. How about you?

 

Another short video shows a blackboard placed on a city’s sidewalk, inviting people to “Write their biggest regret.” Freely, people from all walks of life picked up a piece of chalk and wrote their biggest regrets: not spending enough time with family, working too hard, not pursuing their dreams. In fact, the word “not” was a consistent theme. Though we may regret things we did do, and wished we hadn’t, it seems most of our regrets stem from things we didn’t do.

 

Then again, sometimes our regrets (or disappointments as a friend points out) are not from what we do or don’t do, but what happens to us: ruined health and finances, the destructive choices of others, and so many other negative  influences in our lives. How do we escape regret? We must pursue new dreams within the parameters of our limiting condition. If I can’t run a marathon, where can I travel in my mind? If I can’t climb the tallest mountain, whose hand could I hold as they climb their own mountain of despair? If I can’t row across the Pacific, what relationship bridges can I build to traverse large distances? Sponsor a child across the globe, or befriend a lonely person across the street. The list of choices to avoid regret are endless.

 

Personally, I don’t spend much time living in the land of regrets, but it’s important to visit there if it wakes us up in the land of the living. The point of course, is to change our ways, repent, turn away from things we will regret and live the life of legacy we really desire. Repentance really is the key to handling regret, isn’t it? Otherwise, if there’s no turning away from it, we remain in the land of regrets. What a sad place to be.

 

I think the ultimate regrets of all would be:

  1. To not accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.
  2. To live a miserable, joyless, and powerless life when the resurrection power of Jesus is freely offered to us.
  3. To have been so caught up in our own lives that we neglect encouraging, helping, and celebrating with others.
  4. To have wasted our lives in meaningless pursuits.

 

What do you think?

 

The good news is that whatever regrets you may have now, they don’t have to determine your future legacy. Today is a clean slate!

 

DO the things you’d regret NOT doing!

 

Links to videos:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=R45HcYA8uRA%3Frel%3D0%26utm_source%3Demail%2Bmarketing%2BMailigen%26utm_campaign%3Ddaily-newsletter%26utm_medium%3Demail

 

 

Learning to walk

Leave a reply

 

Walking with God in tough times is an ongoing process that requires humility, surrender of self, a desire beyond self interests, obedience, and a faith that continues to believe. But how do we develop and nurture these characteristics when our life was previously built on the opposite? We don’t. Trying to master these in our own power is an exercise in futility. That’s why Jesus sent his own Holy Spirit to dwell within us to accomplish in and through us what was impossible alone.

 

It starts with humility because its opposite, pride, is our fiercest foe. Pride thinks all the time about satisfying ‘my’ desires, comforts, and ambitions. Pride redraws the universe to revolve around ‘me.’ It’s insatiable appetite is never fulfilled. Whatever it has, it wants more. Humility finds calmness of heart and peace in the storm. It says, “It’s not about me. There’s something much bigger than me. I’ve learned to be content.” Personally, I am never more humbled when I think of God’s greatness and especially his mercy and love. It’s humbling to recognize that he chose us before the foundations of the earth were laid. Looking at the vastness of God’s creation brings me to bow in humility. Humility grows when we recognize the depth of our sin, how we deserve nothing, yet find God giving us all good things instead. A humble heart learns to say, “I was wrong. I’m sorry.” On the scale from humility to pride, where would you place yourself? Remember, only the Holy Spirit can bring you closer.

 

Humility leads us to repent. Repentance is surrendering and turning away from sin and the failures of our own limited efforts. More than that, repentance counts everything as loss that we once considered gain. God may or may not call you to leave your treasures, a secure job, or a bank account to serve him. But he will call you away from striving after them as your deepest desire. His Spirit brings us to joyfully turn away from these pursuits so we can pursue something far greater. Repentance turns away from the old self – no looking back. Do you find your old self more in your rear view mirror or in your windshield?

 

Repentance not only brings us forgiveness but the grace to see beyond ourselves. Just as a self-directed life focuses primarily on us, the Spirit- led life brings us to increasingly look at others through the eyes of Jesus. Can you admit to sometimes seeing people as interruptions or maybe not really seeing them at all? Jesus changes that. We’re all tempted to look at people, savings, possessions, and time as if they belong for our comfort. Jesus shows us that he owns it all. Scripture reminds us that even our bodies are not our own. They were purchased with a price!  What we surrender comes to seem very small compared to the opportunity to participate in his master plan of redemption and  restoration. Ask God this question each day, especially when you confront people you regard as difficult: “God help me to see others through YOUR eyes.”

 

Seeing our lives and others through God’s perspective leads the spirit-led life to obedience. Obedience is the test of love.  If we catch ourselves persistently envying a better lifestyle, a certain look, or other things if the world, we’re not loving God. If we constantly steal time from our spouse and children or our friends in need so we can pursue our own interests, we’re not loving God. If we persist in anger, bitterness, judging others, self pity, anxiety, or fear, we aren’t living in obedience to the one who calls us to freedom. Obedience is listening to the voice of God and doing what he says right then. Sadly, I can remember too many times he prompted me to pray WITH someone, not just for them later, but I chickened out; how many times I had opportunity to comfort and encourage others who were sick and lonely but instead stayed away. What is God calling you to do differently?  You may feel you’ve given the steering wheel of your life to God, but have you taken your foot off the accelerator and brake? Trust God to lead you in complete obedience even if it’s out of your comfort zone.

 

Finally, the obedient heart learns to keep believing. Believing God over our emotions and feelings allows us to remain content in him. It believes that Christ-in-us is a reality that changes everything, that it’s Jesus who makes us complete, not anyone or anything else. When we keep on believing, we start to look for God to show up in our daily life. Our former pursuits grow gradually more dim as we come to be more satisfied being in his presence.

 

Though I graduated from crawling to walking as a toddler, it seems learning to walk in cooperation with the Spirit of God is a lifetime pursuit. Thanks for sharing the path with me as we walk together.

 

It’s not enough to be sorry

Leave a reply

 

I remember Don Knight speaking words of wisdom to a group of men at church years ago. He encouraged us all to speak “those three little words” every woman desperately longs for a man to say. You’re probably thinking he was going to remind us the importance of saying, “I love you.” But according to Don, the three little words most important and most cherished by women are those spoken by the man who admits, “I was wrong!”

 

The popular movie, “Love Story” became famous for it’s punch line, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” Even the actor who spoke the line looks back and says, “What rubbish!” Love means admitting you’re wrong and saying you’re sorry. It’s sometimes hard to say it because quite truthfully we want to be right. But as perfect as you might be, there will come a time when you will not be right and it will be best to swallow the pride and say “those three little words.”

 

But it’s not really enough, is it? We can’t just say “I was wrong. I’m sorry.” Something more is required. The purpose of admitting being wrong and sorry is to change our thinking and our behavior so we don’t find ourselves in that same situation again! The spiritual word for this is repentance, which means to turn away from wrong and change.

 

Some folk complained to Jesus about other “sinners.” Jesus’ response was that there aren’t some who are worse sinners than others and that “unless you repent, you too will all perish.” (Luke 13:3)

 

The truth is, we all fall short. (Romans 3:23) None of us hit the mark. Maybe some days, we aren’t even aiming at the right target. We aim too low in pursuing personal ambitions and filling our sense of self-worth. We aim to “keep busy” rather than to live with purpose. We set up goals that really won’t satisfy us at life’s end. Sometimes we don’t even set up any goals, but just coast through life as it happens to us. Our lives, while designed to be fruitful in spiritual ways, encouraging to others and honoring to God, sometimes may be barren of any good and lasting value.

 

A couple retired and sold their home. They purchased a boat and spent all their last days collecting sea shells. Piper asks, “How will they answer God when he calls them home and asks what they did with the life he gave them? “I collected sea shells?!” What a waste!”” (John Piper, Don’t Waste Your Life)

 

Jesus tells the story of a man who had a fig tree that never bore fruit. Year after year it remained barren. He was going to have it cut down. But the man who took care of his vineyard pleaded with him, “Leave it alone for one more year and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not then cut it down.” (Luke 13:6-9)

 

It’s not enough to be sorry that our lives are so barren of God’s love, joy, and peace. It’s not enough to feel regret that we lack patience, kindness, or goodness. We can admit we have too little faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. But it’s not enough. We can’t produce fruit by working harder or doing more good things. But while time still remains, today is the day to dig in and fertilize our lives with the nourishment of God’s truth. This is the day to soak up his promises and let them feed the very root of our lives. That’s when fruit will come, by changing our life so it stays connected to God, the very creator of life. And THAT is enough.