A LIFE OF NO REGRETS
Introduction:
In
the church calendar cycle, Lent is the Christian season of spiritual preparation
before Easter. In Western churches, in several denominations, it begins on Ash
Wednesday (last Wednesday). During Lent, many Christians observe a period of
fasting, repentance, moderation, self-denial, and spiritual discipline. The Lenten
season's purpose is to set aside time to reflect on Jesus Christ—to consider
his life, suffering, death, burial, and resurrection.
We Baptists are not observant of the Lenten season. However,
observing and meditating on the cross, redemption, resurrection, etc., would
strengthen our Christian faith and give us a great deal of appreciation in
celebrating Easter; otherwise, it is just like any other commercial holiday. For
the next six weeks, we will trek the rugged Road of Redemption.
The Redemption Road is not a novel, movie, or not even
a video game. It is a journey of those who are longing to find peace, fulfillment,
and ultimate rest. It will take us through various stages. The first stage is
regret. Whether you admit it or not, we go through certain regrets in life.
According to Forbes, here are some common regrets that
most people have: Working hard at the expense of family and friendships, worrying
about what others thought about me so much. Been happier more and have not
taken life so seriously, letting my marriage break down, getting involved with
the wrong group of friends.
Not spending more time with the kids and not taking
care of my health when I had the chance—not visiting a dying friend before he
died—not being a better father or mother, etc. We may relate to some or most of
these regrets. We can't change the past, so this isn't meant for us to start a
pity party. However, moving forward, we can make wise decisions that would keep
us out of trouble and enable us, "A Life of No Regrets, Psalm 51:1-19. As
we begin our journey, let us look at the word regret and its impact on us, I
guarantee that you won't regret it.
Regret is a feeling of sadness or disappointment
caused by something that has happened or something that you have done or not
done. When you say, you regret something is a polite way of saying that you are
sorry about it." Collins English. What regrets do you have in life?
When it comes to regret, there can be extremes. Some
would never regret anything in life, and they think it is a sign of weakness
and lack of confidence. Others seem to wallow in regret and could never come
out of the pit of guilt and shame over things they had done years ago.
Do you ever say sorry or apologize for your
wrongdoings? How many times a day do people use the word "sorry"?
Here are some interesting findings. Statistics on Americans are hard to find,
but the BBC reports British people say it at least eight times a day, and some
say it 20 times a day. Research supports that women say "sorry" much
more often than men do.
What's wrong with saying sorry? Nothing, when you have
done something, truly warrants an apology.[1] It is common and natural
for humans to have this negative emotion called regret. Does God have any regrets?
How do we understand Genesis 6:5-6?
I.
DOES GOD HAVE REGRETS?
Genesis 6:5-6, "The Lord saw how great the
wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every
inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The
Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart
was deeply troubled." This scripture puzzled Bible students for many
years.
The Hebrew word, Nacham translated here as
regret, has a range of meanings such as "to pant, to breathe vigorously,
to groan; to be sorry to pity, to grieve; to feel repentance, to repent, etc.
The idea of breathing deeply was a physical display of one's feelings, usually
sorrow. When God saw humanity's rebellion, He breathed heavily, and his heart
was filled with pain and grief.
How did God react to the continual wickedness of the
human heart? Like any loving father
would do over his stubborn and rebellious children, God moved with compassion
and love. To bring his lost children back to Himself, He sent His angels and
prophets to warn them of the dangers of falling away. Finally, He sent His Son
to complete His plan of redemption.
II.
WHY IS REGRET NECESSARY IN LIFE?
The Redemption road begins with regret and ends with
no regrets. Today in America, the dominant opinion on regret is essentially to
get over it, let it go, or forget about it" In her TED Talk, Kathryn
Schulz notes: "Our cultural idea about regret, is that lamenting things
that occurred in the past is an absolute waste of time, that we should always
look forward and not backward, and the best thing we can do is strive to live a life free of regret.[2]
There is some truth in this assertion. Yes, we should
not keep on lamenting past failures, instead, strive to live a life free of
regret. But If we want to live a guilt-free life, we need to reflect and
acknowledge our sin and regret committing it. Then seek forgiveness and take
appropriate steps of restitution where possible. That would help us overcome
our shame.
In the passage, we read we hear a prayer of a broken
man, King David. This prayer begins with regret and ends in joy and freedom
from regrets. The background to this story is found in II Samuel's eleven and
twelve chapters. It was the spring of the year when kings usually go out for
war. When the kings were fighting, David wandered idly on the palace roof.
From there, he saw beautiful Bathsheba bathing. He
coveted her beauty and ended up in bed with her. In other words, he committed adultery.
Here is a warning for all of us. When we are alone, idle, and unaware, the
devil tempts us to do things we may regret later. In David's case, his idleness
led him to commit adultery and eventually the murder of Uriah.
Because of His great love for David, God sent a
prophet Nathan and confronted him with his sin. After confessing to Nathan that
he had sinned against the Lord, David prays this repentant prayer to God. In
Vs. 1-2, he appeals to God's mercy, his unfailing love, and begs God to be
compassionate towards him. Without sugar-coating his sin as mere wrongdoing,
David calls it a rebellion against God. Any sinful act of man is a rebellion against
God, and it is evil.
Vs. 5-9, He admits that he was a born sinner and
recollects how his sins had haunted him day and night. David's sins have robbed
him of the joy he once had in the presence of God. He recognizes that he could
not hide from God, neither could he stand the exposure of his sins. No matter
what he did, he knew sin's stains could not be removed, so he prays this
earnest prayer:
Vs. 10-13, "Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew
a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don't take
your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me
willing to obey you. Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will
return to you." It came from a broken and contrite spirit. God never
rejects such prayers.
III
A LIFE OF NO REGRETS
After that prayer of repentance, it
seemed like David's life took a positive turn. Vs15-19 indicate Davide lived a
life of no regrets. David rendered continual praise; his joy was restored.
He offered sacrifices with a clear conscience, and God
was pleased with David. We remember David not for his sins but as a man after
God's own heart. What can we learn from David? We all are sinners, and we
commit sins that we regret. But like David, when we appeal to God's mercy and
loving-kindness and recognize we have sinned against God, we too will
experience the joy of God's salvation, for Godly sorrow results in our salvation.
2 Cor 7:10. When God forgives and restores our relationship with him, we become
a new creation. The Old is gone, and everything becomes new, and we can go on
to live a life of no regrets. Amen!
