Asking for forgiveness can help with regrets

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him...”

–Romans 8:28

In a recent conversation with an old friend, she shared that her daughter was upset with her because she said she has no regrets in her life.

Have you ever examined your life to see if you have any regrets? I’ve heard we live life going forward, but we understand it looking backward. In hindsight, at a backward glance, it becomes crystal clear we could have done something different.

I once bought a car that was a big gas guzzler and took a lot of money to fill the tank. I made the purchase just because it was smooth riding and I really liked the feel of the cushy, blue velvet seats.

But each time I filled up the gas tank I realized it was stretching my budget; it didn’t take long for me to see how ridiculously impractical this choice was. I regretted purchasing that car until the day I got rid of it. (I’m sure many of you have similar stories of your own.)

Among other regrets are those that are more serious, such as sins that we wish we hadn’t committed. They may be the lies we told or the friend we cheated on. It doesn’t matter what the sin, it often comes with a heavy weight of regret.

Then there are the things we have said when, after experiencing the repercussions, we think to ourselves, “I wish I would have never said that!”

We often regret the busy lifestyles that stole our family time. In hindsight, we realize we should have spent more focused time with our loved ones. I can go on and on, but regrets can eat away at us if we let them.

A man in the Bible named David had great regrets. He said, “I am weary with moaning: every night I flood my bed with tears.” (Psalm 6:6) Our regrets can cause emotional turmoil if they go unforgiven and are our main focus.

But we can take heart. Like David found out, we may sometimes reap the consequences of our regretful choices, but God has provided forgiveness for our sins and regrets through our savior, Jesus Christ. I’ve gone to God many times and admitted I was wrong, and asked for forgiveness through Jesus. I even add, “would you do something to right my wrong?”

Maybe that’s what my friend does, and why she feels she has no regrets.

However, I like to believe a positive attitude about our regrets reveals the valuable lessons we’ve learned that shape who we are and help us make better decisions as we go forward in life.

• Annettee Budzban is a Christian author, speaker, life coach and nurse. She can be contacted at annetteebudzban@aol.com or (847) 543-8413.