Life With No Regrets!
During the lockdown, we tend to have a lot of time to think. Sometimes, we spend it overthinking our past choices. We sink deep in regret thinking about our failures, wrong decisions that we took, the what-ifs, should I haves and so much more…
Here are some that you may be familiar with:
“Should I have picked a different job, a different college course, started that business, not gotten a loan, not avoided this person, not said that in an argument when I was angry, not wasted time procrastinating, spent more time with my family or done much more to keep my parents happy?” “Is it really God’s will that I moved to this new place?”
Many of you might even regret not being able to do certain things because you might not have had the opportunity, skill, talents, privilege, and so on. Because of this, you may be in deep distress and would’ve lost hope in life.
I remember something my friend went through right before the pandemic. My friend was studying in the US for a few years. He would travel to his home country to visit his family every year. In 2020, when he went to visit his family, he had to renew his visa to continue his studies in the US. He filled out all his applications, gathered all his up-to-date documents, dressed his best to attend the interview at the embassy. During the interview, he answered all the questions correctly and said all the right words but in the end, to his disbelief, his visa was rejected. He was so confident that he would get his visa and would return to continue his studies and meet all his friends in the US. He didn’t know what he did wrong and was so confused. Thinking that it would’ve been a mistake, he tried again. He thought for sure this time he would get approved for his visa. However, the same thing happened. He tried again for the third time but still didn’t get the answer he was hoping for.
For two whole months, he was devastated as to why something like this would happen to him. He was questioning God, he was full of anxiety, thinking about what would happen to his future. He regretted that he couldn’t finish his course and continue his life in the US.
However, suddenly the whole world went into lockdown. No one could step outside their homes. Every heart was filled with fear and worried about the future. That’s when a thought struck him, “If I had gone back to the US, I wouldn’t have had an income, there would’ve been no way I could’ve paid my bills, there would’ve been nobody around me to help, and I wouldn’t even have had food to eat.” He then realized that all of those rejections and shame led to a greater plan of God. He was more than happy to stay with his family in his hometown and discover a new door that opened for his career. Something he thought was meant to ruin his future, sprung into a new beginning in his life.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
The verse above so beautifully describes how God had made everything work unto good for the one who loves Him. Today, you might be confused about whether you can come back from whatever losses you faced because of the decisions you made. You may be filled with regrets for what you have done in the past. Remember that all things will work unto good in your life as well because of God’s good, good plan for your life.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Though we’ve heard this verse a million times, something struck me that I’ve never noticed before. In this verse, God says, “For I know the plans I have for you.” In the Tamil Bible, it says, I know the plans I have for you, that I have made on your behalf, of what you look forward to. Isn’t it amazing that God Himself plans a good future for us, on our behalf?
Sometimes you may regret not having the last say or saying something really clever in an argument to prove to the person that you’re right. To feel like you’ve won or have more power over them. But at that moment, it could’ve been God who guarded your tongue so that you protect your reputation or don’t sabotage a future opportunity in your career. He knows what’s best for you, even though you might not see it then. So, the moral of this story is that sometimes it might just be good to shut up in some situations. LOL. But seriously, listen to God, and trust Him when he tells you to do something. Everything works unto good in the end. Even if you feel like a fool at the time, God will make you a king when you obey Him.
Words of Encouragement
When you get tired of overthinking all the things that have gone wrong in your life, remember what Jesus so lovingly says to you,
““Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.””
Go to Him when you feel weak and tired. He will give you rest. Not only that. When those thoughts creep back into your mind and when you feel helpless, Jesus says,
“...for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
What you need to do to stop regretting
You only need to trust Him and do His will. From today, make a commitment to do your best for God in EVERYTHING and seek His will in whatever you do. He’ll guide you in your path and help you make the right choices in life. And even if you don’t make the best choices, God will give you the strength to learn from it and be more than conquerors in this world.