“Live not in yesterday, Look back and you may sorrow. Live precisely for today, Look forward to tomorrow.” – J. J. Hulsgen

People have a tendency to think about what they should have done when the time has already been far spent to change what can no longer be changed. Thus they allow their attention to be drawn to the idea of failing when such failures are but things of the past and therefore have no hold on the present. As a result of this they live in regret and thereby perpetuate their failures when they should have let them go.

Must a person continue to fail just because they have failed? Just because you’ve failed that doesn’t mean you’re still failing. For that matter, even if you have failed in the same way more than once that doesn’t mean failure is unavoidable. Unfortunately, many people live in failure by letting the past remind them of all of the mistakes that they’ve made in it, while some even go so far as to assume that they are a mistake simply because they’ve made mistakes. Listen, it makes no sense to think that you are a mistake because you’ve made mistakes. However, it makes perfect sense to demonstrate that you have learned from the mistakes of your past by simply doing the things that you know ought to be done today rather than wasting time and energy thinking about how things might have turned out if you had done them yesterday.

You see, it’s not for us to think about what might have happened if we had done what we think we were supposed to do back then, but to put what we know ought to be done into motion now to make positive changes that will shape our lives for the better, and thus pave the way for a future without regrets. If you let the failures of your past consume your thoughts and control your emotions you will continue to be a prisoner of your past. That is, you will not experience the joy that God desires to give you if you don’t open your eyes to the fact that you can act now and start all over through Jesus Christ.

Of course, there might have been situations where you hurt certain people, and can no longer make things right with them as they are no longer within your reach. Nevertheless, that still doesn’t give you good reason to live in regret, because living in regret is not something that anyone should do, as it will change nothing for the better, but will only cause more pain. Forgive yourself and move on. Stop thinking about what you could have done and start thinking about what you can start doing today. Don’t keep slipping into past regrets, but live in the present and gift the future with a legacy of promise and assurance for what can be done when you’re willing to act on what you know ought to be done now.

After all, if God is willing to forgive you, then why wouldn’t you forgive yourself? God loves you very much, and He desires to show you a better way. Therefore, receive Him as He is by walking in His mercy and kindness, believing that He has given you a new life through Jesus Christ, and you will experience peace which surpasses all understanding.

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. (Philippians 4:8 NKJV)

• Go back to: Articles on Christian Living
• Go to the next article: Together in Christ