I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?
Jeremiah 32:27 NIV
Take a breath. I’m just going to keep this simple.
Keep holding on. Keep praying. Believe. Take another breath. Speak the Word. Your miracle could be just on the other side of your next prayer.
Looking for a notebook or journal to help you believe? Check this out! Believe Encoura-Journal available on Amazon.
For more encouragement, read about Holding On.
The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity – in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground – in the land He swore to your ancestors to give you. The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of His bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.
Deuteronomy 28:11-14, NIV
I have a confession to make. I’m in a particularly busy season. I finish projects and take on new ones that excite me. I look forward to digging in and start cranking out whatever the project calls from me. Sometimes, I get so focused on what I plan to accomplish that I often skip meals and breaks unless someone reminds me of the time or tells me to stop. Even then, it is hard for me to put away the process.
Yesterday was one of those days. Focused on accomplishing much, I didn’t stop until I realized I had completely exhausted my capacity to type one more thing. I took a break to watch a few minutes of television with my husband, then went to bed. As I lay there, I thought about the next steps in my project and what I needed to do to complete it.
This morning, the Lord woke me with a thought. I get so busy, and so focused that there are other things I neglect doing. Before I start working, I take the time to get in the Word. I even usually fix coffee first. If I didn’t, those two things might be neglected or forgotten entirely. But the Lord was bringing to my mind something specific. He reminded me that I’ve been so busy that I’ve not yet changed the account numbers on one of my businesses.
We changed bank accounts not too long ago – okay, maybe it’s been a few months. Keith set up all that he needed to do on his end, but we wanted to have funds from one of my businesses to go into a different account. I’ve not yet completed that task. It isn’t hard to do. It really doesn’t take that long. And I have money sitting there doing me absolutely no good because I’ve not done what I needed to do. You see, it isn’t in savings – making a percentage while not being used. It really is just sitting. Serving no purpose whatsoever. Dormant. Unused. Untapped.
As the Lord spoke to me about this simple fact, He stirred another thought in my spirit. What else lies untapped in my life? You see, He filled His Word with promises. But, we need to reach out and take hold of them – they are ours for the taking, to believe and work until we see them realized. God wants us to shift our season from sterile to successful.
Do you believe in God’s ability to fulfill the promises He made in His Word, or are you just too busy in this season of your life to tap into those dormant promises? The Word works, but it is powerless until you wield it. You must work the Word for the Word to work on your behalf.
Need healing? Find Scripture that promises healing and confess them over yourself. Take His Word like a medicine along with the wisdom He gave you and your physicians to administer healing to your body. Keep repeating all doses, until you have the healing for which you believed. There’s never a worry of overdosing on God’s Word.
Do you need a financial breakthrough? God’s Word contains promises for that. Are there relationships in your life that need mending? God’s Word has answers for that, too! Do you need wisdom? Yep, you guessed it. Look in the Word! I’ve yet to experience a problem that isn’t addressed in God’s Word. First, I need to define my desire and believe that God’s Word works. Then, I need to do something with it in order to see God’s promises and purposes come to pass in me.
What is it that you need? God loves you. He doesn’t want you to just live, to endure, to barely scrape by. He wants you to thrive. Declare defeat over the dry seasons and dormancy of your dreams. God’s Word breaks the drought and delivers the downpour. Provision has been made; this is the season to tap into the promises.
To read more on the steadfastness of God’s promises, click here!
Photo Credit to https://fshoq.com
Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.
Joshua 21:45, ESV
This morning, I completed a few daily tasks while the coffee brewed. Determination marked my countenance. Unlike yesterday’s event of brewing without drinking a single cup of the hot, piquant liquid, today I planned for success. I noted the sky outdoors looked a little on the gloomy side. Inquiringly, I popped open my weather app to see what the day would hold. The forecast called for storms for the next couple of afternoons.
Sitting down at my desk, I pulled out my Bible and it fell open to the book of Luke. Let me say, I’m not usually a “read where it falls” kind of girl. Typically, I plan with a specific book in mind or my daily Proverb first. Today, however, felt different. The headline that grabbed my attention was “The Lesson of the Fig Tree.”
Initially, my thought was that this passage would be the story where Jesus cursed the fig tree. I recently heard a sermon about that, and the familiarity left me feeling rather pious. This should have been my first clue that I needed a lesson. Pride and thinking you know what God wants to tell you before He speaks isn’t the best approach to morning devotions.
Instead of the “cursing of the fig tree” story, this passage began with calling attention to the change in seasons. Also, it happened to describe the exact seasonal shift we currently face in south-eastern Georgia. Summer approaches quickly (And all the teachers and students shout, “Amen!”).
As usual, I read the passage and highlighted the verses referring to the cyclical change and the fulfillment of prophetic words. I felt a nudging in my spirit about the many words prophetically given over me. Some from people and, more importantly, some contained in the very Book I read. But it was the last verse in the passage that I felt leap within me. “Earth and sky will wear out and fade away before one word I speak loses its power or fails to accomplish its purpose” (Luke 21:33, TPT).
Earth and sky will wear out and fade away before one word I speak loses its power or fails to accomplish its purpose.
Luke 21:33
I meditated what my eyes read and listened for the Lord to make all the connections to my heart. He always does when I’m patient enough to wait. Today was no exception. He reminded me that I have natural expectations, but the spiritual realm is just as real as what I see with my eyes. When I walked the dog, it never occurred to me to wonder if the sky hung where it should. And with equal confidence, I must recognize that God’s Word, His promises to me, will be accomplished in my life.
Scripture tells us in Psalms 93:1b that “the world is established, it shall never be moved.” Psalm 104:5 reads, “He set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved.” 1 Chronicles 16:30 reads, “Tremble before Him, all the earth; yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.” Ecclesiastes 1:4-5 tells us, “A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises.” Genesis 8:22 (TLB) reads, “As long as the earth remains, there will be springtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, day and night.” The world isn’t going anywhere, and the sun never fails to rise and set. The lesson – even more steadfast than the cycles in this world are the promises that God has spoken.
Please note: All Scripture written as ESV unless otherwise notated.
Do you like peace and quiet? Get your official copy of the album Peace in the Storm from my store or listen for free to select songs on YouTube (SK Murray). Great listening for reading the Word and meditating your promises!
“Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like.”
James 1:22, MSG
I love that the Lord enjoys speaking in the most unique ways. His desire to develop a relationship with His children is such that He would go to the ends of the earth to grab our attention and pour out His love upon us. He is always speaking, in a variety of ways. Today, He spoke in quite a remarkable fashion.
I was sitting at my desk doing some editing, and my mind wondered as I glanced out of the open blinds in front of me. Do you ever do that – let your eyes follow the path of imagination? As I looked at the scene before me, the weeping willow limbs waved and danced in the slight breeze. They are just beginning to have a hue of green in the center of the tree as more of the branches begin to open their leaves with the changing weather.
The birds like to gather on the sturdier central limbs. I keep a bird feeder beside this tree, and I love seeing the birds gather around the rim of it eating the seeds. Today, they were mostly gathering in the grass directly underneath, as they have already emptied the feeder of its contents.
Millie, my dog, also loves birds. Really, what she’d like to do is catch one! So far, thankfully, she’s only sniffed them out as she runs circles in the yard. After her morning runs, I bring her inside and lift the blinds so that she can sit on the arm of the sofa and watch them in-between her frequent naps.
I failed to do this last Wednesday before leaving the house. The next day, while I was sweeping, I noticed there were two missing end pieces from the blinds. The ends were laying haphazardly on the floor. Millie had spent the previous day watching birds, and there was a tell-tale hole right at her eye-level. She’d broken them from blocking her view.
As I was gazing at the small birds pecking at the ground in the fresh grass, a larger brown bird flew into my view. I was wondering if it might be the state bird of Georgia, so I took a moment to look it up as it perched on the railing of my deck outside. Google is a wonderful thing – always ready to help a curious girl like me!
I read about the brown thrasher, Georgia’s state bird. The bird on my deck rail had its back to me. Its long brown tail feathers shifted as it balanced against the breeze. I could sense a prodding in my spirit that is always present when the Lord is trying to get my attention.
I didn’t hear anything in particular from the Lord as I stared at this bird, so I glanced back at my screen. There I saw an option to hear the bird’s call. Clicking the play button, I heard the most amazing melodic trill come from the speakers of my laptop. Millie instantly heard it, too. She jumped up quickly from where she’d been lazing among my favorite blankets on the sofa. She looked out of her self-created peep-hole. That was when the Lord quietly spoke to me. “Be quick to hearken to My call.”
The very second the bird call sounded through my speakers, Millie responded. Instantly, she was on her feet, ready for action. This was the action that the Lord was prompting me about this morning. In whatever He calls me to do, I need to be quick to respond.
In Luke 11:28, Jesus spoke, “ . . . But God will bless all who listen to the Word of God and carefully obey everything they hear” (TPT). What blessings are we lacking? Have we carefully obeyed what we last heard Him command?
If you will, let this story be a wake-up call for each of us to respond promptly to His directions for our life. Your call may look different from the call of those around you, and that is perfectly fine! It takes each of us doing our part to spread the love of Jesus and His Good News to every corner of the earth. But, what an exciting adventure to be about His personalized mission for us! You see, this life is fully-lived when in constant communication with our Creator.
Oh, how He wants to work through you! He is calling to you! Do you hear Him? Let’s not be like one who looks in a mirror and then, as quickly, forgets what we look like. Respond promptly to His call, for there is much excitement in the plans He has for your future!
“Call to me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.”
Jeremiah 33:3 (MSG)
Also available on Amazon.
“Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you. I’ve called your name. You’re mine. When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you. When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down. When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end— Because I am God, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you. . . That’s how much you mean to me! That’s how much I love you!
I’d sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you.”
Isaiah 43:1b -4 (MSG)
Yesterday was a rather difficult day for me. Do you ever have those days where you wake up long before your alarm clock sounds and then things just don’t stop until long past your usual bedtime? Non-stop, fast and furious – yesterday was that day for me, an attack on simple sanity.
In the wee hours of the morning, realizing the evasion of sleep, I decided to go ahead and get up. After all, I decided if I couldn’t sleep, at least I could be productive! I spent most of my day at the computer, breaking for lunch around 2:00. The evening wasn’t much slower, however. Finally, I sat down to pan-fried chicken over a lovely salad at about 8:00. Then, I put that on hold to handle some new things that popped up. When everything was accomplished, I melted into the sofa cushions and turned on the television.
The first bite of that salad was perfection. I was tired and I was hungry. Then, reaching over to grab my glass of fruit punch, I felt something odd on my left hand. My wedding rings had turned around on my finger due to the cold, and I’d felt a rather sharp edge.
I placed my glass back down and took a closer look. Something looked amiss. Quickly, turning my phone’s light onto my ring finger, I looked again. Sure enough, one of the prongs on my wrap felt a little sharp because it was out of place. Alas, a hole replaced the diamond that I expected to see.
I just stared at the ring for a while. Surely the empty gray space where the stone belonged was a figment of my imagination. I must be seeing things! There was no way I could be missing a diamond!
But, sadly, I was. I put my unfinished dinner to the side. I looked all around where I was sitting and didn’t see the missing stone anywhere. I looked around my desk, under folders, and around my books. I got the broom and carefully started sweeping. I lifted every dust bunny in the dustpan checking underneath for the diamond. Carefully raking around particles of dirt and glitter with my fingernail, I checked every section of the yellow pan. I repeated this process painstakingly around my living room, kitchen, and bedroom.
My youngest son noticed my distress and lifted the sofa so that I could carefully sweep there. He kept confessing, “Mom, you’re gonna find it! You’re gonna have a dream and the Holy Spirit is going to show you where it is!” I encouraged his confessions, but my heart just felt so heavy. I prayed for the Lord to show me the location of the missing stone. I searched every nook and cranny I could imagine it being.
It was quite late when Keith called to me from the bedroom. Knowing I’d already had a longer-than-usual day, he told me to go on to bed. I complied, but just felt defeated and deflated at not having found the diamond in all my searching.
Sadly, I laid in the bed. Needing comfort that can only come from One, I began to search the Word. I ran across a parable found in Luke chapter 15. It was the parable of the lost sheep.
In the story, Jesus describes a shepherd who watches over 100 sheep in a pasture. I can imagine, if you will, the sheep calmly grazing in the lush green meadow, with the shepherd laying against a black mulberry tree playing a small wooden harp. Such a picturesque scene.
In the story, Jesus describes the persistent search of one missing sheep, which probably meandered inattentively searching for greener pastures. The story further details a shepherd leaving 99 sheep in the open field without his protection. The purpose of which, to find that one lost, wayward sheep. When the shepherd finds the lost sheep, however, he joyfully carries him back to the fold and calls the neighbors to rejoice with him.
This passage of Scripture is a parable. That means it has a specific message that is the purpose behind telling the story. In this instance, Jesus is referring to the rejoicing that occurs in Heaven when one lost person repents and gives their heart to Him.
I then began to search the Word for any mention of the word diamond. Do you know, I didn’t find very much! Ezekiel lists diamonds as one of the precious stones covering the angel Lucifer. In Jeremiah, a diamond point is mentioned as part of an iron engraving tool – an analogy noting its hardness being such that would make a difference on a hard heart entrenched in sin.
I thought it strange that as valuable as we consider diamonds to be, God surely doesn’t mention them very much in His Word! Moreover, the most valuable thing mentioned in Scripture is US! WE are so important to God that He gave His Son so that we would not have to live life here or eternity in separation from Him. We are more valuable than diamonds. You see, diamonds are hardly even worth mentioning.
This morning, I placed my ring in the jewelry box to await repair, and I’m meditating on the value God places on me. I searched high and low and in every single place I could think that diamond could have rolled or bounced. Joyfully, I accepted the help of my child, who was concerned on my behalf. But, even to the extent I looked for that small stone, that is NOTHING in comparison to how God desires us to be found in Him. How great is His love for us!
Today, as you go from task to task, in meetings, on the phone, on the computer, cooking, cleaning, taking care of your family, studying, wielding a hammer or a pencil – whatever it is that you do – remember your worth. First, you are more precious than diamonds. Second, He created you uniquely and as one-of-a-kind. Lastly, you are rarer than the rarest of diamonds. If we are to be lost, let’s be lost in our awareness of who He sees us to be. Further, let’s be found realizing His love for us and worshiping the One who knows our true value.
What is your real worth? In short, you are priceless.
For more encouragement, order Holly’s book, Believing for a Miracle, in print or ebook on Amazon!
For an autographed copy, order from her website and request a personalized copy.
“The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV
There’s rarely a time when I can’t appreciate a bit of encouragement. Scripture tells us many times not to be discouraged, and I imagine the reason the Lord spoke it so many times was because it is a trap into which the enemy often plots for us to fall. Years ago, I heard a story told by Bishop Carlton Pearson about a woman who attended his church when he was a little boy. Her name was Mother Sherman. She would ask him, “You yet holdin’ on?” He would affirm that he was holding on in the faith, to which she would respond, “Well, keep on keeping on then, baby” (Pearson, 1997).
No matter how old we are, we all need encouragement to keep holding on to our faith. This past week I was scrolling through Facebook. I saw that a friend had posted a photo of her child celebrating his 100th day of school. I immediately thought of my last 100th day of school when I taught first grade, and I scrolled through my gazillion photos to that day so that I could share my photo on her page. The date was January 23, 2013.
In the photo, I was standing in my kitchen in front of my pantry. My intent was to take a photo of my hair and makeup, and the outfit that I’d put together for that day. I’d used baby powder in my hair to give it that gray look and a black eye liner to draw lines where wrinkles might show up from 100 years of laughing at or scolding little children. I had on pearls, a turtle neck, jogging pants, bedroom slippers, and a bathrobe. I knew my first graders would get a kick out of my get-up for the day.
As I looked back on that photo taken so many years ago, something caught my eye. It was part of a 4×6 index card that was poster-puttied to the pantry door where I could see it every day. On it was Scripture. 3 John 1:2, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (NKJV). That photo on the 100th day of school was taken when I was still holding on to a promise in the Word.
Holding on to the promises in the Word truly became a lifestyle as we used it to war for the health of our son. The battle wasn’t easy and we at times became weary. But holding on was the only viable option! Have you ever been there? Maybe you are even there right now – holding on and waiting for God’s Word to come to pass in your life.
Waiting is rarely fun. However, the way we wait may impact the outcome. At the very least, it determines our mental health in the waiting. A few years ago, Chris Tomlin wrote a song titled Whom Shall I Fear. The lyrics reference the Scripture found in Isaiah 54:17. Tomlin wrote, “nothing formed against me shall stand. . . . I’m holding on to Your promises. You are faithful” (2012). Truly, God is certainly faithful to perform His Word. In fact, Jeremiah 1:12 (ESV), reads, “Then the Lord said to me, ‘You have seen well, for I am watching over My Word to perform it.'”
The promise written on that card and hung on my kitchen pantry door has been fulfilled in the life of my son. In the waiting, it was hard. It felt long. Things felt unfair. But we kept the Word of God in front of our faces every single day, in various locations all around the house. The wait was hard, but God was our Comforter. It was long, but we were never alone. It felt unfair, but God brought new mercies every day to help us endure the difficulty.
If you are in a place that seems hard, long, and unfair, keep holding on to the Word. Keep on keeping on, God will never fail you. He will never leave you. His Word will never disappoint. Do not be discouraged, keep holding on.
Remember, there will come a day when you will be able to tell how He helped you overcome today’s adversity and step into tomorrow’s miracle. Keep believing for a miracle. Charles Tinley (1905) wrote, “we’ll tell the story, how we’ve overcome.” When that occurs, your miraculous testimony becomes the key to someone else’s breakthrough. You see, the Word tells us in Revelation 12:11a, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.”
Keep believing! Keep holding on to your promise, your miracle is on the way. Indeed, it is on the way! Keep holding on!
To learn more about Holly’s story, get your copy of the author’s book, Believing for a Miracle. Also available on Amazon in Kindle or Paperback.
Cash, E., Cash, S., Tomlin, C. (2012). Whom Shall I Fear [Recorded by C. Tomlin]. On Burning Lights [CD]. Atlanta, GA: SixStepsRecords.
Pearson, C. (1997). Mother Sherman [Recorded by C. Pearson]. On Carlton Pearson Live at AZUSA 2, Precious Memories [CD]. Nashville, TN: Word Records.
Tindley, C. A. (1905). By and By [Recorded by C. Pearson]. On Carlton Pearson Live at AZUSA 2, Precious Memories [CD]. Nashville, TN: Word Records.
A
“God conceals the revelation of His Word in the hiding place of His glory. But the honor of kings is revealed by how they thoroughly search out the deeper meaning of all that God says.”
Proverbs 25:2 TPT
I loved playing Hide-and-Seek as a child. My siblings and I would play it in our big, woodsy back yard or in the house on rainy days. We’d spout chants of “no peeking” and “count slowly” as the three of us ran in different directions away from the fourth child who was “it.”
One of my favorite places to hide in the house was under the kitchen sink. I could curl myself up on the side that didn’t have the plumbing, though I’m sure my mom didn’t appreciate my shifting her cleaning supplies. I could stay quiet there for a long time, hidden behind the dark brown doors.
I’d keep my giggles smothered by my knees as my hands curled around them to keep me in the confined space. Then I’d listen intently until I heard the screams of one of my siblings being found in another part of the house. Quickly, I would make my escape so that I could touch base without being tagged. If my brothers ever opened the cabinet door behind which I was hiding, there’d be no place for me to run. The startled feeling of being found was always followed by the immediate sinking feeling that I was now “it.”
My love of Hide-and-Seek hasn’t changed much since I’ve grown up. But being “it” is the most fun for me now. I love watching little children scurry to hide from me before I close my eyes and count slowly and loudly.
Not too long ago, I had the privilege of watching the daughter of a friend while my friend worked. The little girl was about three-years-old. Together we played a game of Hide-and-Seek. I closed my eyes and began to count slowly and loudly to ten before announcing, “Here I come!”
My eyes opened. I could hear light giggles and noticed a child-shaped bulge in the curtains by the big picture window. In the space where the curtains nearly touched the floor, ten of the cutest little wiggly toes peeked out.
I spent some time calling her name and announcing the various places I was looking that I hadn’t found her. With each announcement of “no, she’s not under the table” or “no, she’s not behind the chair,” her giggling increased. When I finally “discovered” her hiding in the curtains, she squealed joyfully, eyes dancing, as I uncovered her. We then began Hide-and-Seek again, the hiding place rarely changing between there and under the bare table.
There’s not much credit one can take when finding the obvious hider. It took no skill at all to find my friend’s sweet little one. You can’t brag a lot when you tag the person under the sofa cushion. The cushion-covered body is hard to miss! It becomes quite exciting, however, when you finally find a hider in the most obscure place! This makes the game’s challenge very rewarding.
I was thinking over this experience when talking with a friend recently. You see, God plays Hide-and-Seek with His children, as well. The difference is that God doesn’t hide Himself from us. Instead, He hides Himself for us to find. While my friend’s little girl wasn’t intentionally giving herself away with her giggles and visible toes, God is very intentional. He, too, wants us to find Him.
Proverbs 25:2 reads, “God conceals the revelation of His Word in the hiding place of His glory. But the honor of kings is revealed by how they thoroughly search out the deeper meaning of all that God says” (TPT). Digging into the Word helps us to learn more about the principles that help us live a more victorious life. Scripture contains simply-stated rules to follow, to be clear. It also includes hidden treasures that reveal more of God’s character and love for us. Other verses we must ponder and ask the Holy Spirit to help us understand.
In one article, Bill Johnson explains one of the reasons for God hiding things for us. He states (2013) that “Revelation always brings responsibility.” Becoming aware of God’s expectations of us makes us responsible to carry out what we’ve discerned. James 4:17 (TPT) puts it this way, “So if you know of an opportunity to do the right thing today, yet you refrain from doing it, you’re guilty of sin.”
This is not a comfortable truth perhaps, but it is certainly a truth we need to hear. As we begin this new year, I pray that we will all dig into the Word. It’s my desire that we learn more about God, His character, and His love for us. I also pray for nuggets of wisdom that the Holy Spirit helps us to uncover so that we can make application of it into our lives. What excitement we get when we’ve discovered something new that we didn’t understand before!
There is nothing in the Word that will do anything short of giving us abundance in every area as we learn and grow in Him. It’s really just a matter of playing Hide-and-Seek. What truths have you discovered so far this year?
Johnson, B. (2013, August 1). God Hides Things to Be Found. Retrieved January 9, 2019, from http://bjm.org/god-hides-things-to-be-found
To read about how God blesses us when we get busy, click here!
The morning was a slow-starting Saturday. While Saturday isn’t necessarily my favorite day of the week, I love the sluggish starts that Saturday allows. Extra patience never needed, I appreciate staying home as I get in extra stretches and don’t feel rushed to jump into makeup or other confinements that make one presentable to society. I donned a very comfy pair of pants befitting the brisk breezy conditions outside. Unlocking the kennel gate, I walked my impatient dog and then strolled to the coffee maker.
I always prefer my table cleared and covered with a black tablecloth that matches my window valence. This morning, however, the table was completely covered with baskets and cleaning products. I’d heard sounds earlier in the morning that made me believe that I’d find it in this condition. I mentally prepared myself to have patience and be calm. Sure enough, it was every bit as bad as I had imagined.
I saw my husband leaning over the still-full washing machine messing with the red metal twisty thing behind the heavy machine (post-coffee known as a water valve shutoff handle). I looked at the dusty mess covering my table and his general stiff demeanor. Clearly what he was discovering was going to cost time and resources. The amount of the cost was yet undetermined.
I felt poised. The last couple of loads had given me a warning message. The message usually meant that the screen that filtered dirt from our well outside needed washing off. In bright red lights, it read F02. Failure. This is not a task that I can do myself. I always wait until my husband has free time to look at it and muscle the hose from the spicket. He’d just returned from a business trip the previous Tuesday, which coincided with the day I’d left town for a writer’s conference. The washer had been free from use and corresponding error message for a week. It wasn’t until this lovely, lazy Saturday morning, that the problem resurfaced when he started a load before I’d even made it out of bed.
I watched my husband work and waited quietly until he explained the problem he saw. He stated that the valve itself had a leak and he was concerned about the impact of the leak on the sub-floor. I followed my initial gasp quickly with an audible, “oh no!” It had been less than two years since we’d completely gutted the kitchen and laundry areas all the way down to the floor joists. The job had been a considerable expense, and my husband and dad spent a great deal of time to complete the project. I didn’t want to ever repeat that messy, inconvenient experience. My husband grabbed his jacket and his keys and headed to our local home improvement store for the parts that he needed.
As I poured my cup of coffee, I felt a nudging of the Lord not to worry. I put aside thoughts of a damaged floor. I sat down to allow the warm beverage to help soothe my body as the Lord’s words had soothed my soul.
It wasn’t much longer before Keith returned, new valves in hand. He told me that He felt God speak to him on the way to town that our floor hadn’t been damaged. I told him God spoke the same thing to my heart, as well!
He quickly replaced the valve and tightened everything down. I cleaned up the now-damp dust bunnies that covered the floor area where the washer rested for so long. I began to think about all the things I was thankful for in this situation. First, we hadn’t had to call a plumber. Keith had been able to make the repairs himself much faster than I’d have thought possible. Keith hadn’t hollered, busted his knuckles, or made guttural sounds of manly agitation at any point in the morning. Secondly, I was thankful that the floor under the washer felt quite sound. We’d made wise purchases when replacing the sub-floor, a couple of years previously, and that investment had paid off. Thirdly, I had the opportunity to clean an area that had been quite neglected for two years. I even found a missing gardening glove!
As I cleaned with all these pleasant thoughts in mind, I felt thankful for Keith. I spoke those words to him as he put the washer back in place. Then I spent the next little bit cleaning out the baskets of cleaning supplies that I kept on top and restarted the washer to finish the cycle from the last load.
Continuing with my morning cleaning, in a rare throw-it-away stage of mind, I heard beeping permeating my brain once again. Sure enough, F02 clearly flashed on the window of the washing machine. Failure. Two choices were before me. I could get irritated or I could be patient. I chose the latter while I texted Keith to let him know. Once again, I began the process of taking everything off the tops of the washer and dryer. Laughing, I thought that at least everything was clean and more organized on top this time. It certainly made the job easier.
Each time Keith adjusted part of the machine, I was confident that this latest action would be the one that would repair the washer. I would place my non-skid mats back down on top of the washer and dryer, and return my baskets of gardening gloves, vegetable buckets, and cleaning supplies. I’d love to say that it my great faith pushed me to return everything back in place so promptly. I must admit, however, that seeing my table covered in these items caused me feelings of tension. I can hardly stand my things being out of place if it is in my ability to make them orderly.
By about the fifth time, I just left everything on the table. Putting items back where they belonged wasted my valuable time. The beeping sound and error F02 message still sounded each time the washer got to the final drain cycle. It was almost a taunting noise – coming just when we thought we’d found success. At this point, we decided Keith had done all he knew to do. The machine was an old one, and it would be best to make the drive into town to investigate the models available for a replacement of the much-used washer.
I got ready to go, trading the comfortable black lounge pants for more confining
blue jeans and quickly added some color to my face – all the things I prefer to avoid on Saturdays. I laughed and chose not to get agitated or feel drained just because my washer wouldn’t. We drove an hour into town. After the sixth appliance store visit, however, I was tired. Patience ceased to be a virtue in my possession. I believe there must be a rule that appliances must be located in the furthest possible point from the entrance and exit doors. I was tired of comparing prices, looking for the best deal, and trying to stretch my too-short arms into a too-deep washing machine drums. So when the sales clerk stated that she had a front-load washer in stock and would give us an amazing deal on it due to our extended wait, I was elated!
We walked back to the front of the store to pay, headed to the truck, and pulled around to the loading area. We waited and waited, and then we waited some more. No one came bearing anything resembling a washing machine box. Keith returned to the customer service desk to discover that the washing machine we’d paid for was not in the store and would need to be ordered. It would be in the following Friday.
I felt impatient with patience. My desire to go home, watch Keith put in our new washer, and unload my table of its burdens outweighed all other thoughts. I wanted to crawl into bed listening to the quiet hum of a new washer and feel the zero-vibration promise of the new washer, so unlike our older model that made the glasses in my china cabinet chatter.
Looking into the eyes of my husband, hoping by some miracle that he could make this news not be true, I decided that, again, I had a choice to make. I could choose to vent my frustration on the hard-working clerk, or I could remember that she could very well walk into my church the very next day. What would I do if she did? Would my behavior embarrass me now and later, or would I choose to follow my husband’s patient lead? I chose the latter.
Patience is not always an easy choice. I suppose that if it were, everyone would do it. There is a verse in the book of John in which Jesus stated that in this world we would have trouble (John 16:33). Today seemed to have been full of trouble and opportunities to lose my cool. But in true Jesus-fashion, He left us with the promise that we could have peace no matter the troubles we face, because He’d overcome the world.
No matter how things appear on the exterior, the inside of each human is full of emotions at various states of expression. Some are aloof, some are relaxed, some are joyful. Others are volatile or on edge – but there isn’t one person on the planet who doesn’t have emotions. No matter the difficulties we face, it’s wise to remember there’s nothing more important than showing love to people.
I don’t know that Sharon will remember the tired woman with the nearly-bruised ribs who reached into every washing machine on her sales floor. I’m unsure if she saw the man who pulled my husband and me into a prayer huddle on our way out the door. I don’t know how many other people she’d served that day. I’m not sure who had lost their patience with her when things didn’t work out as they planned. Thankfully, I held my tongue in check when I felt my emotions edge toward impatience.
Romans 12:12 (TLB) reads, “Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and prayerful always.” I often fall short in various troublesome situations, but the Word reminds me to be patient. God never fails to help us overcome failure. Patiently hold to the hope of His purposes.
Tonight, as I avoid looking at the pile of baskets, cleaning supplies, and gardening gloves on my table, I thank God for the beeping of Failure 02. We escaped serious, costly damage to our laundry floor because we discovered a leaking valve. We now own a new, much-needed washer replacing the broken one. I have a husband who sets the standard high when I feel my own emotions slipping.
What a blessing to have a friend we’d not seen in years pray over us! It didn’t matter that he did so right in the middle of the front aisle of a home-improvement store! I feel incredibly thankful for the messages of love God constantly pours over me through His Word and His people. I’m thankful for the attainability of patience. Like love, patience is a choice.
In conclusion, I want to encourage you to choose patience if you are dealing with something frustrating. There is a song by Hillsong Music, titled “Elohim” (2016) which declares that God’s promises will never fail even when we are in a trial. The song goes on to say that God is patient because God is love. This refers to the scripture in 1 Corinthians 13:4 that declares that “love is patient.” (Click the title to play this amazingly peaceful song. Music often sets the atmosphere and helps us achieve a more patient outlook on our experiences.)
Look for the things about your situation which are positive. Also listen to see if God is trying to speak to you, even in the midst of difficulty. God constantly whispers comforting confidence into the hearts of His children bringing calm to the chaos. I recently wrote an article about God speaking in the strangest ways. Read the article when you have time. But most importantly, hold on steadfastly. Be persistent. Our failures are not permanent and God will not fail you. Choose patience and joy. Focus on the opportunities God may be bringing your way. Remember Romans 12:12: “Be happy in your hope. Do not give up when trouble comes. Do not let anything stop you from praying” (NLV).
We can learn patience even from moments of frustration or failure. Patience 101 is a prayer away.
References:
Sampson, M. (2016). Elohim [Recorded by Hillsong Music]. On Let There Be Light [CD]. Brentwood, Tennessee: Capital Christian Music Group.
You can learn a lot from animals. Whether a cow, dog, or fish, God can teach life lessons using anything! One spring morning, I was out walking my dog. Not the classy, go for a morning constitutional, get a little fresh air and exercise kind of walk. This was the “I don’t want to clean up behind you in the house” kind of walk. This is a routine for us. Every morning, when I open my bedroom door, I see Millie sitting up and looking at me from her kennel. She knows what is coming. She has heard me moving around in my room. Millie heard me open the bedroom door. She knows I am going to let her outside as soon as she finishes jumping and wagging after being set free from her confinements.
That morning, the air was cool. It was warming up a little more each day and it looked like we were getting a second chance at spring in Georgia. Some of my bushes that were hit hard by a freeze right after blooming were budding again. Tiny white flowers opened along the boughs of my bridal wreath spirea and little pink tassels covered the Japanese Fringe Flower. That excited me, because I hadn’t been able to enjoy their colors nearly long enough a few weeks earlier when they bloomed the first time!
As I walked Millie, keeping her on a tight leash until we were away from my flower beds, I looked at the freshly cut grass. I always keep my eyes down, watching where I am walking, for many reasons. One of those reasons is so that I can look for any type of trash that needs picking up. I usually find a piece or two on my short morning walks around the yard, but this morning was different. There was nothing to pick up where I was walking. I breathed deeply as I walked. It was then that the peace and quiet of the country air was shattered.
Across the dirt road and through the woods came the loud, low bellowing of a lone cow. My closest neighbors don’t own cows. Nobody anywhere on my road owns a cow. But someone not too far away apparently had a cow or a bull that spring.
Cows used to be quite a fascination of mine. As a young child, I had a toy cow on wheels connected to a bell-shaped bulb. When I squeezed the bulb, the cow lifted its head and mooed. I called cows “moo cows” most of my life. In fact, when I was in elementary school I wrote the word “moo cow” in each of our home dictionaries to prove that it was really a word.
I had lots of cow-themed items growing up. My parents gave me a collection box full of cow figurines. Shortly before we married, my husband’s best friend gave me a pillow case. The print on it read, “Something in the way she moos.” I had cow stuffed animals in my bedroom, and my best friend gave me Mary Moo Moos that were adorable.
I remember as a teenager when my fascination with wanting to own a real cow began to wane. I was visiting my grandparents. They had a house and a bunch of family-owned land in the country. As I was out meandering on the dirt roads, I walked near a farm of a distant relative. I could see cows in the field. I climbed up on the round metal poles of the pasture gate and watched them. Several of the cows came close to where I was. They were SO pretty, but then something hit me . . . the smell. My goodness, they didn’t smell pretty.
Sometimes things may look fantastic at a distance, but when you get up close enough to see the reality – then, not-so-much. This morning’s unusual sound filtering through the woods fascinated me because it sounded so forlorn. Maybe it was “something in the way she moos” that made it stick out in my ears. Hearing cows in the rural area in which I live certainly wouldn’t be shocking – even with the knowledge that my closest neighbors don’t own cows.
The bellow the cow made this morning sounded very distinct. It sounded almost like the cow was communicating something very clear and specific. It sounded desperate. Lonely. There were no other moos answering back. Never having owned cows myself, I was intrigued with the sound. I began to listen to see what the Lord might be wanting to teach me from the cow moo. I felt inclined to do a little research.
Bringing my dog inside, I put her leash beside the buffet just inside the front door. I picked up my phone and googled, “Why do cows moo?” The results seemed consistent, but I ran across one article, written by Kristofor Husted, that peaked my interest.
Mr. Husted, a journalist and reporter for Harvest Public Media, met with a cattle geneticist to inquire from him why cows moo. I have no idea what prompted him to ask that question, but I’m glad that he did and that he went to someone who was experienced in all things bovine. Mr. Husted reported (2016) that cows seem to communicate for a variety of reasons.
First, he stated that when cows are moved to new locations, they often call out trying to find other cows that they know. Cows also moo when they are looking for a mate for purposes of reproduction. Cows moo when their calf (or the mom) has been lost and they are trying to locate one another. Finally, it was reported that cows also moo when they are hungry, need to be milked, or are stressed in some fashion (heat, trapped, etc.) Mr. Husted tried to get a recording of cows mooing but was unsuccessful. In explanation, the geneticist simply stated, “happy cows don’t need to moo” (Husted, 2016).
It was that last line that I found most interesting and made the most sense in describing the lowing of the cow that morning.
The cow-call that I heard earlier sounded so anguished to my ears. It didn’t seem to be happy. It caught my attention and made me alert. I wanted to go locate from where the sound was coming to see what was going on or if there was something I could do to help.
Thinking on that mournful moo made me contemplate what our cries out to God must sound like to Him. Unlike my lack of understanding of the reason behind the cow calling out this morning, God knows every situation in our lives. He knows our reasons even before we cry out to Him. He loves each of us without condition and is concerned about everything that is of concern to us.
Luke 12:6-7 reads, “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (NKJV). That He takes count of every hair on our heads has always fascinated me – I lose hairs with every brush or washing of my tresses. So, if even that detail doesn’t escape His eye, then no doubt He notes any situation of greater meaning to my life. No problem is too big or too small for God to know about, care about, and be able to do something about.
Let me preface my next few paragraphs by saying that communicating with God should not be reserved just for times of trouble. (Who wants to hear from someone who only calls you when they need something?) But just like good parents appreciate when their children come to them when a problem is stirring, our Heavenly Father wants us to come to Him with situations we face. And while parents may sometimes already be aware about situations that are troubling their children, God certainly already knows every detail of every aspect of our lives before we call out His name.
God’s Word tells us that when His children cry out to Him, He hears them. Psalm 34:17 reads, “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles” (NKJV). Psalm 50:15 reads, “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me” (NKJV). Psalm 86:7 (MEV) reads, “In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, for You will answer me.” Jeremiah 33:3 (HCSB) reads, “Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know.”
God longs for us to communicate with Him. According to Merriam-Webster, (n.d.), communicate means to “share. To convey knowledge of or information about: make known; reveal by clear signs. To cause to pass from one to another.” Communication is a two-way street, with both parties sharing and listening to one another. Communicating with God isn’t just about calling out when situations are starting to look scary. It isn’t merely about desperate times calling for desperate measures. Instead, communication is consistently acknowledging our reliance on the Lord and desiring to develop deeper relationship with Him.
We communicate with the Lord in our thoughts, the focus of our hearts, our actions, and with our voices. For most of my life, praying out loud was something that terrified me. The reason for that was because I was forgetting my intended audience of one, and instead was more concerned about what I sounded like to people. I still, at times, struggle with that – especially in a crowd. But the Lord has been showing me that I generally begin to feel more comfortable when I frequently practice something that, at first, makes me uncomfortable.
But praying, declaring the Word of God, and crying out to God – out loud – well, there is something different about that I’ve noticed. I don’t know that lifting our voices has an impact directly on God (He’s not deaf, nor is He nervous). I think, however, that praying, declaring the Word, and crying out to God aloud causes something different to happen in us.
Barbara Ho, (n.d.), in talking about the children of Israel marching around the walls of Jericho and then obeying God on the seventh lap by yelling, stated, “Have you ever wondered why He had the people shout? Of all things to have them do, why that? Because lifting our voices takes faith. Sometimes just stating facts aloud validates the reality of whatever the situation is. It somehow makes it real.”
Lifting our voices takes faith. Wow. Boy is she right. I can pray all kinds of crazy, wild prayers in my head, and God the creator of the craziest things (Google weird ocean animals and be amazed) hears me but isn’t ever surprised. But if I start praying and declaring the Word of God over big, crazy dreams – aloud, where I can hear me, or other people can hear me, when THEY know the crazy things I am believing for – that is a little different, isn’t it?
I’ve seen humorous memes on Pinterest that say things like, “You might want to tuck that back in, your crazy is showing.” Society is mostly about conformity. Sticking out usually makes people feel awkward. But if we are going to be crazy about anything, let it be about Jesus, and let it be something that makes our faith stronger!
Besides building our own faith, speaking the Word aloud in prayer might encourage someone else to believe big for themselves. The “Me Too” movement, begun in 2006, is still a hot topic in the media right now. But what if we say “me, too!” when we are praying with people about things that are unattainable without God’s intervention? He’s more than able to do for your prayer partner the same as He can do for you! Think bigger! Call out to God! He hears us and longs to communicate with us. For what are you believing?
Communicate. (n.d.). Retrieved April 30, 2018, from Merriam-Webster
Ho, B. (n.d.). Crying Out to a God Who Answers. Retrieved April 25, 2018, from Harvest Prayer
Husted, K. (2016, May 16). Why Do Cows Moo? Here Are A Few Reasons. Retrieved April 25, 2018, from Harvest Public Media
SeanMack. (2006, June 30). Stonefish [Digital image]. Retrieved September 29, 2018, from Wikimedia
I love to laugh. I love to look for spectacular things that others are doing and calling them out. Encouragement is so easy when you are seeing great things going on around you in the people you know and love. But what about when things are not going so well? What if you have made a mistake? How do you move forward then? How do you live a life of no regrets?
If you have never made a mistake in your life, you can probably stop reading here. If you just sat down with a fresh cup of coffee and have nothing better to do, but still fall into the “I’ve never made a mistake in my life” category, feel free to keep reading. For the rest of us, I hope that reading this post will bring some relief. I pray that you find encouragement on how to move forward from past mistakes.
A few weeks ago, I chatted with a mom who had decided to homeschool her children. In our conversation, I remarked that I had never regretted my choice to homeschool my children. I’d questioned it at times. I’d made sure that I was hearing clearly from the Lord about that choice. But I felt no regrets about homeschooling.
My eldest son has now graduated and is attending a local technical college. Looking back on the years I spent with him one-on-one causes no feelings of regret at all. There are many things in my past that I wish I could go back and do differently. Yes, many. Homeschooling my boys just isn’t one of them.
I don’t know that there is a worse feeling in this world than the pain of regret. Our minds can feel absolutely tormented if we have thoughts like “what if I had only” or “I wish I had” playing on repeat as we think about various life experiences. Regret is defined as “to feel sorrow or remorse for (an act, fault, disappointment, etc.); to think of with a sense of loss: pain or distress in the mind at something done or left undone” (regret, n.d.). Even reading that definition makes me feel rather disgruntled in my heart! No one wants to feel the pain of regret. Knowing that, I doubt there is one person on the face of the earth today who has not felt regret about something in their life.
It is human nature to try to avoid pain. Some pains are beneficial. Pain may help us achieve goals we have set. It may keep us from further damage to our bodies or to others. But the pain of regret is one that we typically want to sidestep. And while none of us want to make regrettable decisions, few experience a life of no regrets. An article in Psychology Today states, “Regret is the second-most common emotion people mention in daily life . . . and it’s the most common negative emotion” (Grierson, B., 2017).
The youth pastor at my church signs his emails “No Reserves, No Returns, No Regrets” (E. Hidalgo, personal communication, May 9, 2018). That isn’t a shabby motto by which to live. Wouldn’t it be great if, at the end of our lives, we were able to look back and say that we had no regrets? And yet, so many people experience this painful emotion. Psychologist Amy Summerville, in an article in National Public Radio (2017) states that it is repeatedly thinking over events that tend to bring about the most negative feelings. She states:
Rumination is having thoughts spring unwanted to mind and we’re chewing them over without actually getting anything new out of them, they’re just repeatedly, intrusively, becoming part of our mental landscape. What we’ve found is that people who have ruminative regret, tend to be the people who are experiencing the most negative outcomes. (Perkins, L., Boyle, T., Klahr, R., Vedantam, S., & Cohen, R., 2017)
Picture this – imagine that you are visiting me near my house in the country. We are taking a walk down a dirt road near a green, grassy field. The wind is blowing lightly, causing the grasses to dance in the breeze, and a neighbor’s cows are standing around chewing.
We stop and enjoy the pastoral scene. It’s quiet, but as we study the cows we are thinking that they should have swallowed that bite and taken another by now. I can imagine laughter as we mimic their chewing motions.
The Webster Dictionary describes the root of the word ruminate as coming from the Latin word “ruminari” which “in turn derives from ‘rumen,’ the Latin name for the first stomach compartment of ruminant animals (that is, creatures like cows that chew their cud)” (Ruminate, n.d.). While we don’t spend a great deal of time chewing our food, cows do. In fact, Webster states, “Literal rumination may seem a little gross to humans, but to cows, chewing your cud (that’s partially digested food brought up from the stomach for another chew) is just a natural part of life” (n.d.).
There are things in life about which it is good to ruminate. Thinking over the great things God has done in your life, success, dreams, meditating on the Word and things He has whispered to you as you’ve listened in prayer. These are all healthy, productive ruminations. Some thoughts, however, are best forgiven and forgotten. Learn what you can from these negative experiences and then move on. Don’t waste time regretting what you can do nothing about.
Scripture has a lot to say about how to deal with regrets. God knew we wouldn’t always make perfect decisions, and we’d need to have a way to clean up our messes and get back on track! This is where I want to focus. This is how to live with no regrets! While there is great wisdom we can glean from brilliant minds, there is no better source than the Word of God with which to hold as the standard for our decisions.
First, let me say that when we make a mistake, we need to ask for forgiveness if our actions affected anyone else negatively. In a letter to the church of Macedonia, Paul writes to tell them that he had previously written them some harsh corrections that he later regretted. Yes, even Apostle Paul had regrets! But he states that he didn’t regret the letter now because by calling them out on some things they needed to be better about, it had caused them to adjust their lives so that they were now living in the way that they should. In 2 Corinthians 7:19, he states “Godly sorrow produces repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret” (MEV).
Seeking forgiveness when we have made a mistake causes regret to fall away. We first need to ask forgiveness from the Lord. The good news there is that going to God for forgiveness of our sinful choices has only one result – forgiveness! 1 John 1:9 tells us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (MEV).
Now don’t think that you can just do whatever you please, hurting other people, and thinking you will have no consequences for your behavioral choices. That just isn’t the case. In fact, there is another stipulation to receiving forgiveness. You can’t expect God to forgive you if you don’t forgive other people. It is a command to forgive – a choice we need to make. Matthew 6:14-15 reads, “For if you forgive men for their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men for their sins, neither will your Father forgive your sins” (MEV).
To be clear, there is no limit on how many times we should even forgive the same person of the same mistake. Jesus said, “I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22, MEV). That is a lot of forgiveness, but what a weight we release when we release others. Living a life of forgiveness puts you on the path to a life of no regrets.
There is a common expression that is derived from a 1938 book by Emmet Fox. In Fox’s book, he states that drinking poison with the intent to protect yourself from others is pointless as there is no “doubt who will actually receive the benefit of the poison” (Fox, 1938). The more common expression I know has been credited to many different people with a variety of negative topics, but I’ve heard as “Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” The only person hurt by holding a grudge, rehearsing past wrongs, or hanging on to anger and resentment is the person doing the holding. You are much better letting those negative emotions go, forgiving, and moving on. The person who is really freed is you.
Forgiving others doesn’t mean that you are saying that what someone did to you was right; it doesn’t excuse their behavior. It doesn’t mean that what you did to someone else was right when you ask for forgiveness, either. Instead, forgiving the wrongs others have done to you keeps their behavior from hurting your heart further. Lewis Smedes (1984) wrote, “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner is you” (p.133). But the choice to forgive is yours alone to make – choose to have no regrets.
The second thing that I wanted to address about having no regrets once you have sought or chosen forgiveness if needed, is to learn from your mistakes and then put them behind you. When I was growing up, I did a lot of cooking with my mom. She is an excellent cook and I enjoyed spending time in the kitchen with her.
One day, I was pulling a hot dish from the oven. I was so focused on not burning my hands through the potholder that I wasn’t paying enough attention to where the top of my hand was. The knuckle of my pinky finger contacted the oven rack. There is still a light scar from that mistake, but I learned to be a whole lot more careful when pulling something from the oven and am that much closer to having no regrets in the kitchen!
I’ve often heard the expression, “sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.” In fact, author John Maxwell has written a book by the same title. I prefer not to learn the hard way, but if I go through something hard, I surely hope I learn something from it! Once you’ve learned something, hold onto the lesson but then move forward. Don’t keep rehearsing the negative experience – that is counterproductive!
Psychologist Amy Summerville had mentioned that choosing to mull over negative events produces negative feelings (2017). Therefore, we must choose to stop. Philippians 3:13 reads, “Brothers, I do not count myself to have attained, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead” (MEV). That same passage in The Message reads:
I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward – to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back (Philippians 13:12-14, MSG).
The Passion Translation ends verse 13 by saying, “I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead” (TPT).
Choosing to put things behind you doesn’t give you amnesia. But as you work through the decision and process of forgiveness, learn from the past, and focus on the positive, the sting of regret fades. Isaiah 43:18-19 says, “Do not remember the former things nor consider the things of old. See, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not be aware of it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert” (MEV).
What does it look like to have a river in the desert? It looks unnatural. In fact, it looks supernatural, because only God can cause a lush, thriving, flowing river to spring up from a dry, lifeless wasteland. Acts 3:19 reads, “And now you must repent and turn back to God so that your sins will be removed, and so that times of refreshing will stream from the Lord’s presence” (TPT). Living a life free from the pain of regret is attainable by turning to God, repenting for any wrong you’ve done, and then moving forward in refreshing relationship with the One who loved you enough to lay His life down for you before you were even born.
There are multitudes of quotes sharing how to live without regrets. Most are serious and thought-provoking. I believe the reason for this is because it is such a serious and real emotion that most experience at some point in life. But we can choose to forgive the past, learn what you can from it, and focus on a more positive future. Don’t look back – live life with no regrets!
Fox, E. (1938). The Sermon on the Mount: The Key to Success in Life. New York, NY: Grosset & Dunlap.
Grierson, B. (2017, October 31). The Meaning of Regret. Retrieved September 21, 2018, from Psychology Today
Perkins, L., Boyle, T., Klahr, R., Vedantam, S., & Cohen, R. (2017, September 11). Why We Can’t Shake Life’s ‘Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda’ Moments. Retrieved September 21, 2018, from NPR
Regret. (n.d.). Retrieved September 4, 2018, from Dictionary.com
Ruminate. (n.d.). Retrieved September 21, 2018, from Merriam-Webster
Smedes, L. (1984). Forgive and Forget: Healing the Hurts We Don’t Deserve. New York, NY: HarperCollins
Holding Fee for Editing Projects
$25.00
Peace in the Storm Audio CD
$10.00
Believing for a Miracle
$15.00
