Neil Roese in If Only makes a profound distinction of two kinds of regret:
- Regret of action.
- Regret of inaction.
Simply put:
- Wish I had not done something (action).
- Wish I had done something (inaction).
Or:
- Wish I hadn’t (action).
- Wish I had (inaction).
Or:
- Things I should not have done (action).
- Things I should have done (inaction).
Whichever, ouch!
- Mistakes made (action).
- Opportunities missed (inaction).
That translates theologically into:
- Sins of commission (action)
- Sins of omission (inaction)
But, there doesn’t have to be regret. Flip things around.
Opportunities abound:
- Past opportunities: What might have been?
- Future opportunities: What can be?
Jim Rohn speaks of two types of pain in life:
- Pain of regret.
- Pain of discipline.
Weighs:
- Regret weighs tons.
- Discipline weighs ounces.
Choices:
- Pain now (discipline)
- Pain later (regret)
Advice:
- Repent over regrets.
- Throw off the weights.
- See and cease the opportunity.
- Run after it with patience and persistence.
- Look to Jesus. He will help! (Hebrews 12:1-2)
Or:
- Forget the past.
- Make the best of the future (Philippians 3:13).
Live life to God’s fullest potential with a determination of no regrets in mind.
photo credit: cesarastudillo via photopin cc
James Poitras 