Tag: #regrets

From Regret to Redemption

I just finished Daniel Pink’s book, “The Power of Regret – How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward”. He identified four types of regrets – what it sounds like and the human needs it reveals:

Type of Regret What it sounds like The Human Needs it Reveals
Foundation If only I’d done the work Stability
Boldness If only I’d taken the risk Growth
Moral If only I’d done the right thing Goodness
Connection If only I’d reached out Love

A solid foundation. A little boldness. Basic morality. Meaningful connection. The negative emotion of regret reveals the positive path of living – Daniel Pink, The Power of Regret.

As much as we would like to live a life without regrets, we realize that it is impossible – from the small regret of eating the extra slice of cake to major regret of ruining a marriage or business.

However, regret is not failure. Often, God uses regret as a turning point:

  • Peter deeply regretted denying Jesus three times. In return, Jesus asked him three times, “Do you love me?”. Then Jesus built the foundation of His church with Peter.
  • Moses spent 40 years regretting a rash decision that caused him to flee to the desert. Yet God prepared him as a shepherd so that he could lead a nation out of Egypt.
  • Paul carried the weight of persecuting Christians, until God appeared and spoke to him, “Why are you persecuting me?”. This transformed him to become one of the most powerful apostle to spread the Good News to many pagan nations.

God has a long history of redeeming regrets. He used our past regrets to become wisdom and conviction to move us forward in a way that no other way could. God had used all my regrets for His purpose, and redeemed me in His love, grace and hope. Looking back, there was no other way God could have convicted me from my stubborn heart, except through the pain and sorrow of regret. What I had regretted – revealed to me what I truly valued.

For all of us still wallowing in the “If Only” Regrets, God is calling us to His redemption of grace and hope, to lead us to our salvation.

My Invitation

This is my invitation to you today: to seek God’s redemption for your regrets.

Regret Is Something You Choose to Carry with You

Is there a regret you carry with you for the longest time?

Did you keep it a secret out of shame and embarrassment?

Did you finally overcome it?

Mel Robbins shared in her latest podcast, “How to Learn From Your Mistakes: Let Go of Regret & Move Forward”, how she regretted getting her breast implants and kept quiet about it for three long years, suffering from the shame of regret and keeping quiet about it out of sheer embarrassment. She had the symptoms of brain fog, numbness and tingling sensations, but didn’t realize that it was from the implants. After she found out, she did extensive research and talked to many people, and had them surgically removed. She was finally free from the physical illness symptoms and the shame of her biggest regret. She chose not to carry her regret any longer.

Now, she shares it on her podcast, hoping to let her listeners know that we all make mistakes, and that we can overcome our regrets. My three biggest takeaways are:

  • Sharing my regret/burden can help me feel less alone
  • Seeking help from trusted friends or family can empower me to take action to overcome or resolve the situation or circumstances
  • Choosing to learn from my lesson to come out stronger and wiser

It takes great humility and courage to choose to stop carrying my regret. It was the Redeeming Love of Jesus that empowered me to forgive myself and to let go of the shame. God’s love is so great that there is no regret that He cannot redeem you from.

I know that – I AM REDEEMED BY GOD.

Today, I invite you to seek God’s Redeeming Love to overcome your regrets, instead of letting it haunt you. Whether you are consciously or unconsciously choosing to carry your regrets, you have the power of God’s Love to REDEEM you. If you have lived a blessed life of no regrets, then share this message with someone who might need it and let God’s Love redeem them.