"Regrets"

When what you’ve been after,

Leads to disaster,

And you wonder if you’ll be okay,

Make peace with your regrets,

Because we’re not dead yet,

And surely there’s reason to say,

That now that we’re older,

The burdens we shoulder,

Get lighter if we let ‘em go,

You see when you’re wiser,

They’re just apetizer,

For the main course of life, this we know.

All of my history,

Can be used to help me,

If I don’t live there too long,

Right now there’s a new day,

New future and some way,

We’ll get to where weakness is strong.

Sometimes can’t believe it,

And hard to receive it,

The blessings and favor God gives,

We must keep on going,

And never stop growing,

So life is still something we live.

Deathstyle or lifestyle

And learning what’s worthwhile,

And what gets us stuck in the mud,

And all those naysayers,

And wanna be players,

Have no business being the judge.

And if regret chases,

With sad, angry faces

All this can help us to grow,

Move on from what once was,

God works in all things ‘cause,

With Him nothing’s wasted we know.

“If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake and the sake of the Good News, you will save it.” (Mark 8:35, NLT)

Jesus taught that we must let go of our lives. He was speaking directly to surrendering control, without a doubt. But included in that challenge was letting go of anything and everything that steals what our lives ought to be. If I give my life to Jesus, but hold onto my regrets, today’s opportunity will be stolen because I’m bogged down in what used to be. But if I let go of my history, though learning from its lessons, the odds are stacked I will not miss the doors God is opening now. We give up our lives to Jesus and the Good News. Regrets are reminders of bad news, so I give them up in favor of the Good News of Jesus Christ. If the Good News is my focus, then it’s less likely the bad news will overshadow it. Let go. You’ll be glad you did.

Lord, help us surrender every regret to You, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Steve Devenyns, stevedevenyos.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Steve, and God bless you.