There
are some in this world who live with terrible regrets. They regret
things they said. They regret things they thought. They regret
things they did. They regret allowing their anger to get out of
control. Some regret letting their car get out of control. Others
regret growing up with such bitterness and hatred toward their own
mother or father...never having reconciled with them before they
died. Some regret wedding vows. Some regret divorce papers. Some
regret a night of passion that lead to more than they had bargained
for. Some regret trying to rid themselves of the evidence of that
night of passion. No matter what you regret, you must never
forget...Jesus died so you could be released from the power of those
regrets! "There is therefore NOW no condemnation to those who
are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but
according to the Spirit." (Romans 8:1 NKJ) For those who turn
to Jesus Christ, there is FORGIVENESS, RESTORATION, HOPE, PEACE, and
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE! That does not mean we will ever FORGET what
Jesus forgave us of...on the contrary! He wants us to be free within
His grace...but with a sober understanding of how AMAZING that grace
was, and is!
I
have friends who have killed with their words, and others who have
literally killed another person. I know those who have lived a life
of sin in front of their children, and now are praying for their
lives to be changed by God. I know those who in desperation, have
had an abortion. I know those who have thoroughly humiliated
themselves, and degraded and/or abused others by drinking too much
alcohol. A friend of mine ran over a little boy, killing him
instantly. You may be one of those people who have caused similar
harm, or been the recipient of it. I have been on both the giving
and receiving end of harm. What should be done about it? What is the
Christian solution? Perhaps we should make all who have ever
seriously injured or killed another to wear a special tattoo on
their arm that identifies them as a potential risk to mankind?
Perhaps we should cause them to endure the same pain they inflicted
on those they harmed? But what would that accomplish...really?
For
those that accept Jesus Christ as LORD of their lives, there is only
ONE thing needed in regard to past sins, mistakes, and atrocities
they have committed...TRUST. Trust in HIS COMPLETE FORGIVENESS.
Trust in HIS unconditional LOVE. Trust that God is able to turn ALL
things for good. Oh that we would TRUST that God is SO MUCH BIGGER
than the past! He is SO MUCH BIGGER than what you are experiencing
TODAY! God is infinitely able to take your pain. He is infinitely
able to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness! The enemy of our souls
wants to exploit our bad choices. He wants to put us on a LIFE LONG
GUILT TRIP! He knows that if he can get us to focus on what WE HAVE
DONE, instead of what GOD HAS DONE through HIS SON JESUS CHRIST...he
has won. Know this...if the enemy of our LIFE IN CHRIST has anything
to say to us, it will be steeped in condemnation and hopelessness.
On the other hand, when JESUS speaks to us through the power of His
HOLY SPIRIT, it will be with love, encouragement, and HOPE! Sure, we
ALL have regrets...but after having confessed our sins to the Lord,
we MUST NOT allow those forgiven sins to discredit us any longer! We
have ALL fallen short of the glory of God...but to those who repent,
and believe in Jesus Christ, they will receive GRACE and MERCY! They
will receive LIFE, and that MORE ABUNDANTLY! They will no longer
walk in darkness and despair...the flesh. They will not live a life
filled with regrets, but a life full of NEW MERCIES...SECOND
CHANCES...PERSONAL REVELATION and TRUST! They will walk in the
Spirit! Of course, we must realize, there may be CONSEQUENCES for
our indiscretions...our mistakes...our sins. There may be physical
consequences. Yes, in the case of the loss of life as a result of
our sins, there will be emotional, and psychological effects. But do
not allow this to discourage you! Rather allow it to incense you to
LOVE JESUS MORE! Allow it to increase your LOVE FOR OTHERS! Allow it
to solidify the FAITH you have in the ONE Who forgave you of such an
overwhelming debt!
I
have seen some people withdraw after a particularly painful event in
their lives. I once saw a young man totally self destruct after the
divorce of his upstanding Christian parents. As his children's
pastor, I saw so MUCH POTENTIAL in him! He had one of the sweetest
spirits. He was smart, and well spoken. He knew the
Bible in and out. Unfortunately, today, he is living a life that
denies ALL of that! I know of another young man who was crippled by
a horrible accident in his late teens. He has allowed the accident
to strengthen his walk with Christ! He has literally used it to
spread His faith in Jesus! Gianna Jessen (click on video links
below), is another one who
overcame. She was aborted by saline injection, yet, by the GRACE of
God, she was delivered alive! She was adopted. She was taught the
love of Jesus. She has overcome cerebral palsy, and now speaks all
around the world in favor of LIFE...not just human life...the LIFE
that comes through the SPIRIT of the LIVING GOD in JESUS! She does
not go around condemning others for abortion. She does not lift
herself up on a pedestal so others will feel guilty. She merely
speaks the TRUTH in love. She wants people to understand that though
she was not wanted by this world...she was wanted by JESUS! She
wants people to know that 4000 children are killed by abortion every
day in the United States alone. She does not regret being the result
of a botched abortion. She savors it! She does not hate her birth
mom. She does not lament having cerebral palsy. She does not hold
the successful abortions of other mothers over their heads! She is
not about condemnation. Jesus Christ is NOT about condemnation! She
is about LIFE. Jesus is about LIFE! She is about another way than
the world is offering. Jesus IS THE WAY that she offers.
What
are you offering?! What, for Christ's sake, are you championing?!
Are you living a life full of regrets? Are you wallowing in the
past? Are you short circuited by what JESUS has already died for?!
Do you find yourself feeling powerless and without value? Do you
sense that your life is for nothing? Do you believe the
misinformation the enemy of your soul is trying to feed you?! I pray
NOT! And, if you are, TODAY is the DAY to lay it ALL at the feet of
JESUS! TODAY is the DAY! Don't continue walking through the briers
of life! Don't keep walking through the thorns and stickers, when
Christ has cleared a WAY for you to walk in PEACE, LOVE,
FORGIVENESS, RESTORATION, HOPE, FULLNESS! Christ has, and WILL
continue to a make a WAY where there seems to be none! Jesus loves
you...unconditionally! You must NOT hold on to those things Jesus
took for you on Calvary! No matter what you have done! No matter
what someone has done to you! You need only to lay it at HIS feet
today. Tell Him ALL of your hurts. Tell Him all of your
disappointments. Tell Him what you did, or didn't do! Tell HIM! Tell
HIM EVERYTHING! Cry out for HIS LIFE to replace your own. Cry out
for HIS LIFE without regrets! Cry out for LIFE with HIM...IN
HIM...FOR HIM! He is listening. He is waiting. Let the pain you have
held inside for so long flow out to HIM. He won't reject you. He
will HEAL you! He will take those regrets and replace them with HIS
PEACE. Cry out to Jesus! (Gianna Jessen) Part I video
Part II video
Until
next time...may the Lord Jesus Christ BLESS YOU with HIS BEST!
Your
Partner In Ministry,
Greg McCowen
Covenant
Life Fellowship - Lubbock Church - (806) 771-4244
