What I Saw in the Attic!

This “Stay at Home” thing has resulted in people doing strange things to pass the time. Like going through boxes in our attic! What I saw in one of those boxes was a photo of an old (but really nice) ‘69 Camaro .... that I used to have! The unfortunate key phrase in that last sentence is “used to!” Quite awhile back when my kids found out that I had gotten rid of a ‘69 Camaro, one asked, “What were you thinking?!” To which the other replied, “Obviously, he wasn’t!”  Ouch! The truth hurts! Oh, the regrets!

Every life has regrets, many of which are a whole lot more serious than not having the foresight to keep a vehicle that would become a classic! I’ll bet you’d have no trouble coming up with some regrets right now. “I wish I would have....” or “I wish I wouldn’t have...”

Regrets  have a way of haunting us, don’t they. But they don’t need to!

You see, you can’t go back and change what you did or didn’t do in the past. But - here comes the important part - you don’t have to allow past actions (or inactions) to poison your future! Forgiveness is the key to locking up those regrets permanently!

Maybe the forgiveness is the kind that needs to be given. If so, do it! Not giving it will make you bitter. Guaranteed! Giving it will make you better! (Also guaranteed!)

Maybe the forgiveness is the kind that needs to be asked for. If so, do it! And if the person’s no longer around to ask forgiveness of, you have a God who specializes in forgiving - and forgetting! Listen to this from Hebrews 8:12 “I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more!” What an amazing thing! You ask God to forgive you, He not only forgives, but He forgets! What that means is this: When Satan torments you with regret and you go back to God for more forgiveness, His reply will be, “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” He’s literally forgotten it! And, if God’s forgotten it, who are you to keep hanging onto it?!

[ Please note: I go a bit more in-depth on the subject of getting rid of regrets with forgiveness in the message during worship at our church. I invite you to watch it here:  https://youtu.be/sZafzimrNSU ]