Regret
Regret is a poor roommate. Once it moves in, it will seek to dominate your whole living space. It wants all the attention, and it loves to make people miserable. Regret tricks people into ruminating over past failures with all its various shades and colors. The broken promises, unfinished work, unrealized dreams and the things that should have never been done. They have limitless possibilities. One of its favorite things is enticing people into living in the past, so they fail to live in the present, and find more regret in the future.
Of course, regret will use distractions to lead people down wrong paths. It may use the minimalist approach of procrastination, which does wonders for unrealized dreams and goals. Not to mention pursuing wrong career fields, or chasing the almighty dollar. Again, the list is endless. How many feel as if they’ve wasted most of their life? Perhaps, it’s time to kick regret out of the house.
Repentance
Repentance is a change of heart and mind, which results in change of spiritual condition, behavior, and circumstances. Perhaps, one of the biggest regrets is realizing one has lived for himself, on his own terms, apart from the will of the Lord. Repentance vacates regret. It leads us to redeeming the time.
Ephesians 5:15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
To redeem means to purchase, or in this case, “buying up the opportunity.” Redeeming the time means not allowing the suitable moment to pass by unheeded, but to make it one’s own. Improve the opportunity, while being set free from bondage. The New American Standard Bible puts it this way: “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.”
The step is found in verse 17: So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is (NASB). When we take hold of God’s will for our life, nothing is wasted. In simple terms, what’s done is done. Submit to the will of God, and move forward with Him, while leaving the past in the past. In fact, count it as dead.
Ephesians 5:18-21 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ (NASB).
