“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” 2 Corinthians 7:10
Regrets
Regrets. We all have them: things we wish we would’ve said or not said, done or not done. What do we do with them? Do we take them to the feet of Jesus, confess them, leaving them there for Him to make clean? Do we wait on the Holy Spirit to give us direction on how to make amends, if possible, and then make them? Do we take responsibility for the consequences that may result from our words or actions, or try to place blame elsewhere?
I have many regrets, such as a comment I made a few times to my daughter about a feature of her feet. I realized I needed to stop before she became self-conscious. Too late. She started wearing socks all the time, and when I asked her if it was because of my comments, with her head hung low and tears flowing down her cheeks, she nodded yes. It absolutely broke my heart. I knew better. I knew how it was to have comments made to you as a child that stick with you well into adulthood. I so regret the words, but I can’t take them back. I sincerely apologized and told her God had designed her exactly the way He wanted her, beautiful, from the top of her head to the very bottom of her feet. He didn’t make mistakes in creating any part of her (Psalm 139:13-14).
I’ve spent much time deriding myself for being so insensitive, for being a rotten mother. I took it to the Lord, and begged Him to help me fix it. There was no condemnation. He gently reminded me He didn’t make a mistake in this either: I was the exact mom she needed whether I believed it right now or not. I can place my regret at Christ’s feet, not forgetting the lesson but leaving the burden, or I can carry it around with me and wallow in it, feeling like I’m drowning in quicksand. I am useless to my daughter in quicksand. The enemy wins if I let myself be mired down with past regrets.
Ladies, whether they are big or small, lay your regrets at the feet of Jesus. Ask Him to take them and work them for good (Romans 8:28).
I pray that He totally erases those comments from my daughter’s memory. If He chooses not to, then I have an incredible opportunity to speak a wealth of sincere, positive ones to outnumber them. We went clothes shopping for vacation recently. I asked her about a new pair of flip flops. She wants some, she said she’ll wear them on vacation, no one knows her there. It’s a start.
Dear Lord, thank You for loving us beyond our regrets. Help us not to become mired down in our regrets, but learn from them, make amends when possible and rise above them. Amen.
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