Who among us can say we have
never had any regrets in our life? We all travel that
road. If you disagree,
maybe you are not being totally honest with yourself.
In my opinion, regrets
primarily come from bad decisions we make throughout life and even from missed
opportunities. Some regrets may be the result of sins in our lives and some may
not, but they are there nonetheless. Some affect us deeply, and some do not.
Allow me to point out several
examples and the possibility of eliminating the regret that haunts us.
Your test score arrives and
the result is clear you did not study. (Some of us have felt that regret.) So
how did you fix it? You studied for the next test and your score reflected your
effort. Didn’t the sun shine a lot brighter on that day?
You were warned by family and
friends, but you married the “love of your life” anyway. Everything was peaches
and cream for a while, but when the honeymoon was over, the person you couldn’t
see arrived to make your life miserable. Is this regret fixable? Yes it is
possible, but it will take a lot of work from both parties involved.
You bought a beautiful new
red sports car, but after only a week it is clear that it should have been
painted yellow. You have had it in the garage so many times you have lost
count. Regret! Regret! Can you fix this? Yes, but it will cost you.
You regret that you did not
finish school. Go back and finish. You regret that you never learned to play a
musical instrument. Start now and learn. It won’t be easy, but these regrets
can be turned into joy.
Most of the world today
scoffs at any mention of the Rapture, but soon and maybe very soon, it will
happen. Jesus Christ will come down from His Father’s house in Heaven and
remove His bride (the true Church) from this earth. He will take all who know
Him as Savior and Lord to Heaven while He pours out His judgment upon this
earth for a period of seven years. Immediately after the Rapture occurs where
will you be, on earth, or in Heaven? One will result in overwhelming joy, but
the other a frightening regret.
You have died. You are in
hell, awaiting judgment. This is the worse regret, by far, you have ever
experienced. Can it be fixed? You know the answer. Your regret comes from
knowing that if you had come to Jesus before you died and asked Him to save
you, you would be with Him in Heaven instead of hell, waiting for Him to judge
you. This regret will be an albatross around your neck for eternity.
When we are alive upon this
earth, everyone will have regrets of some kind, believers and unbelievers, but
a believer in Jesus Christ will go into eternity with no regrets … only
everlasting joy.
While upon this earth, many
regrets can somehow be reversed (some can never be reversed), but once an
unbeliever dies, the regret of denying Jesus will never go away. It will be a
constant reminder. Maybe you, as an unbeliever have made some terrible
decisions while upon this earth, but the worse decision you will ever make is
rejecting salvation through Jesus Christ.
Take a minute and consider
the regrets in your life. Now don’t tell me you have none, we all have them. How
do they make you feel? Is there a smile on your face that hides a broken life? If
you could change anything in your life, would you?
Maybe society sees you as the
most successful and blessed person of the century. On the other hand, maybe
society sees you as the biggest failure who ever walked the earth. Depending on
the cause of your regrets, some could be like a pebble in your shoe or a hungry
bear on your back. Whichever it is, it doesn’t matter. You do have regrets, but
will you have eternal regrets when
your time is up on this earth?
Four of the promises Jesus
gives us, from over 7,000, in the Bible are:
“Come to me, all you who are
weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn
from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your
souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
“All those the Father gives
me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (John
6:37)
To all believers Jesus
promises:
“So do not fear, for I am
with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help
you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. All who rage against you
will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing
and perish. Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those
who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. For I am the LORD your God
who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help
you.” (Isaiah 41:10-13)
“And we know that in all
things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called
according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
For those who are interested
in spending eternity in Heaven with Jesus and being regret free forever,
consider this. There is only one way, and that is through Jesus Christ (John
14:6). Hear Him as He speaks:
“Come, all you who are
thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.” (Isaiah 55:1)
“For it is by grace you have
been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of
God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Grant Phillips
Email: grantphillips@windstream.net
Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com
Rapture Ready: http://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html
