Regret might take a back seat
A few things I know in nearly 40 years of life. Life is full of choices. Our lives are a sum of those choices we make. We can’t change the choices made in the past, but we can choose what we do moving forward. Our future can be reshaped by those positive choices we make, or our future can be greatly impacted by choosing to remain in past choices.
Something else I am aware of is that appreciation goes a long way.
Let me tie those two things together. Stay with me.
If I could count the number of times over the years that I have heard people who have gone through tragic and difficult situations say something like, “Show them you love them while you have them. Tell them you love them. Appreciate what you have while it’s yours…” it would be endless.
What if we all choose to daily count our blessings and then act on that. Don’t just thank God for them, choose to actually act on that gratitude. Choose to show those you love how much you appreciate them. Choose to tell them. Choose to not take for granted who God has brought into your life. Choose to lay down silly and petty nuances. Choose to get over small offenses instead of allowing them to fester. Find out what honor is and choose to begin to give it to whom it is due. Choose to remove the filter you are seeing someone through and ask God for His eyes of compassion for that person.
If we did this, regret might take a back seat.
Life is a series of choices. Sometimes we have to make a choice and choose to act contrary to how we “feel”in the moment. Deliberately and willfully choosing to appreciate those God has put in your life could be game changer…not only for you but for them as well. Walls might fall. Healing might begin. The love Jesus wants us to show will grow and become evident.
Choose to honor God by obeying His word which includes the golden rule found in Matthew 7:12, “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, [choose to] do also to them…”
I am approaching 40. Regret has no place in my life. I realize I have to choose to live on purpose and with purpose. Will you join me?
I echo Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3 and pray this same thing for each of you reading this today.
“14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”