Regrets or No Regrets?

      
     Most of us have said or done something we wish we hadn't.  I certainly have.  There are plenty of mistakes in my past, and honestly they still plague me from time to time.  Still, up until just two or three years ago I really  never wanted to go back and relive any part of my past.  
      Oh sure, I would love to have the energy of youth, a few less wrinkles, more than a few less pounds and not nearly as many aches and pains.  That isn't really what I'm talking about though.  
      Have you ever heard someone say, "I wish I could be young again, but know what I know now?"  We think we would do things differently - avoid mistakes we made back then.  Now sometimes, I think like that too.
       If only it could work that way!  But we all know it doesn't.   The chance to relive our past is no guarantee our lives would be better now.  Let's say I was 25 again - I might avoid "XYZ" (whatever that may be) - but I would be tempted with "ABC" and succumb to it instead.  In other words, it is highly possible I would mess up something else somewhere along the way.  
      Should we regret our past sins?  I think so.  If we didn't we wouldn't have a conscience.  But should we dwell on them?  Absolutely not!  Thinking about the past all the time does not allow us to enjoy our present  --or move forward to the future.  I know this from experience.  Perhaps several of us do.  God does not want us to live this way.  
      We all know we can't literally turn back the clock.  That is actually a good thing.  The most important thing about our past mistakes (sins) is we can be forgiven for them.  If we are willing to repent and follow God's word, we can start with a clean slate!  How great is that!?  Oh, what peace it brings to the human soul.
      The second most important thing we gain (hopefully) from past errors is knowledge.  We can learn from our mistakes. We learn what is right and what is not. 
      Understanding where we went wrong and being willing to change allows us to move toward our future.  The decision to avoid our same old mistakes gives us hope for a better life here on earth.  Not only that, we acquire a steadfast hope for eternal life with our Savior.  
      Another very important factor for us to remember is the realization that our experience can help others.  We can warn others about the consequences of  certain actions.  How wonderful it is to think we could make a difference in someone else's life!
      Sharing our own stories could help prevent others from making the same mistakes.  Saying we messed up and explaining what we could have done differently may make others think twice about doing what we did.  If only one soul realizes they have a more positive choice, wouldn't sharing our story be worthwhile? 
      Also we can identify with those who have committed the same sins.  We can help them understand what forgiveness is and the joy it can bring.  We can comfort them and help them learn how to move on.  We can bring a light into their darkness. 
      Our experiences can be used in our evangelism efforts.  The change in our lives will show others they can change too.  They can have the same forgiveness and hope we have. Those outside of Christ need Him.  They need to know everyone sins - everyone messes up -- but anyone willing to follow our Savior can be forgiven.  
      It's like this, all of our past experiences - all the things we've done whether bad or good -- bring us to who we are right now.  If  we hadn't lived our life the way we did, we wouldn't be the person we are now- the Christian we are now.  We wouldn't have gained the wisdom or compassion we now have. 
      For some of us, it is difficult to forgive ourselves and move on.  But God doesn't want us to look back.  If we repented and obeyed the gospel our Heavenly Father has forgiven us through the blood of Christ.  Yes, we should look back on our past but only to learn from it, not to pity ourselves.  
     Please don't allow your past keep you from living a righteous life now.  Our past shouldn't paralyze us in the present.  It shouldn't prevent us from living our life for the One who gave Himself from us.  If we are living a righteous life, we cannot let our past poison our hope for the future.  
      As Christians we shouldn't dwell on regrets.  They rob us of our joy in Christ.  Instead we should plan and prepare for His promises by following Him.  If we do, there will be no regrets when we meet God in all His glory!

Christ above all things,
Robin