No Regrets

Happy New Year! It's hard to believe that 2010 is finally here. And with its arrival comes a sense of anticipation for what God has in store for all of us. The beginning of the year is a natural time to look ahead to what could be. It's a time when many of us begin to dream again. We set goals for the future. We aim higher than we did in the previous year. Our minds paint an almost perfect picture of the days to come.

But so often, alongside our dreams lie our regrets. We regret eating too much. We regret the things we said to our spouse. We regret spending money on things that really didn't matter. We regret watching so much TV! We regret our out of control thought life. We regret not spending more time in prayer. I think you get the idea!

I had a revelation of sorts the other day! I have never regretted doing God's will for my life. I have never regretted obeying his Word. This is not to say that it wasn't difficult at times. In fact, I would have to say that in many situations, following God's plan for my life has been more difficult. At the same time, it has always been the most rewarding choice.

Think about it. Have you ever heard someone express regret for loving their wife or giving to the poor? Wouldn't it sound weird if someone said to you, "Boy, I wish I could have gotten myself into more debt this past year." or "I'm sure glad I cheated on my husband and caused my family so much pain." The truth is that following God's will for our lives brings satisfaction and peace.

Maybe you are wondering how to rid yourselves of regrets from the past. 2 Cor. 7:10 tells us that "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." Give your regrets to God and begin walking forward again.

I have lots of goals for 2010, but my highest aim is that I would do His will for my life no matter what the cost. And I know that as long as I do this, I will not look back with regret to what could have been.