Regrets

By Gobel Brockman


There's a story of a young man who grew up in a devoutly Christian home. As he approached his High School graduation, he asked his father for a car. His father told him, "I'll see what I can do." So graduation came, and at his party his father gave him a wrapped box. The young man opened it and found...a Bible. The young man was furious. So much so that a few short days later, he moved out, never to speak to his father again. A few years later he received word that his father had passed away. After he had returned home from the funeral he found the Bible his father had given him. For the first time he took it out of the box and opened it. Something fell out and landed by his feet. He picked it up. It was a blank check, and in the memo section it said, "Car for Graduation."

There are so many directions we could go with this story. Putting things ahead of people. Greed and selfishness. The danger of making assumptions. Regret that stays with you for the rest of your life. The undeserved heartbreak of the father that stayed with him for the rest of his life. Most of us have never done anything to this extent, but we all have regrets. We've all hurt people with our selfishness, and been hurt by the selfishness of others. We've all jumped to conclusions, only to find out later we totally misjudged someone. I know that I have. I can think of many times where my selfishness and moodiness have brought pain and discouragement to the people I love the most. What do we do in these times?

I believe the best answer is in Philippians 3: "I do not consider myself to have reached the goal. But this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind me and striving for what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal of the prize of the high calling of Jesus Christ." I can't count all the things in my past I would go back and change - if I could. If we CAN make amends, we need to. But it's not always possible, and sometimes the past can't be fixed. All we can do is leave it there in the grace of God and ask His help in not making those mistakes again. And I know "He's faithful and just to forgive my sin, and cleanse me from all unrighteousness."

Have you messed up - badly? Feeling like God can't forgive you and you can't forgive yourself? Take heart; God's not done with you yet. I told you all of this to tell you that regardless of your past, God can still do amazing things in your life. People can still see the goodness of God because of what He does in you. I close with a story of another young man that grew up in a Christian home. In his youth he began drinking and smoking pot, soon progressing to LSD and other drugs. His life became a mess. But God loves taking messes and giving them new hope. That kid is now a minister, a worship leader, and the writer of a somewhat boring but well-intentioned devotional.

What I'm saying is, if God can give him a new start, He can give you one as well.