Don't Let Your Life Wallow in Regret

by Barbara Latta

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14).

Don't wallow in regret from wrong choices

I have never met anyone who is perfectly satisfied with the choices they have made in life. Most of us are wandering through life wallowing in regret because we didn’t set goals, follow ideas, help more people, or try to remedy hurts. One thing I struggle with is wishing a writing career would have started earlier for me. 

While I rejoice at the success of my fellow writers, the fangs of regret try to sink into my soul with accusations of “Look at where you could be now,” “I’ll never get anything published,” or “I’m too old to start now.” But time is too precious to waste looking behind and wanting things to be different. I had to start somewhere or not start at all. Instead of looking at what I could have done, I have to look ahead to what I can do now.


Don’t keep looking back 
Rearview mirrors have a purpose. Driving a vehicle without one would be hazardous because there are times we need to know what is creeping up behind us. But if we had our eyes on the back of the car all the time we would have a more disastrous outcome. We need to see what is before us. Our destination is the goal and achieving that goal requires keeping our eyes on the road ahead. 

 Paul the Apostle killed and persecuted Christians because he thought he was doing God’s work by purging heretics from society. But when his eyes were opened and he knew the truth, he couldn’t take back the lives his actions had cost. To accomplish God’s work, Paul

We shouldn't keep looking back in regret.

had to receive the forgiveness of Christ and look forward. He had a lot to regret, yet he ended up writing most of the New Testament. Instead of wishing his past had been different, he thrived in the victories Christ gave him. His focus was forward. The goal was ever before him.

Never too late 
It is never too late to pursue a goal or dream. If you regret not getting the education you wanted, start now by taking courses or studying certain subjects. Conventional methods don’t have to be the only way. Online courses and home study have paved the way for many students. 

Maybe you are regretting a split in a relationship. Rather than wallow in misery over lost years, now is the time to restore the connection. The rest of your life can be fulfilled with sharing good times with someone you thought was lost to you.

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We can finish our life in victory.

f you came to know Christ later in your life and you wish all those young years had been filled with listening to His direction, don’t be depressed by these thoughts; praise God that you did heed his voice and now have an eternal future with Him. Your life is at the beginning. 

When the ghost of “What if” or “I wish I would have” comes calling, answer the door with “I press toward the goal.” Regret is a soul destroying virus that takes us nowhere. A new mindset is the key to becoming free. After all, continuing to live in despair won’t get rid of past reminders. They will just stay longer giving you more things you wish were changed.

Paul ended his life with this statement, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7). Start now by putting regret behind and keeping your eyes forward, and you can say that too.

This song says it all. I hope you will be blessed by listening to it.

What steps do you take to keep your eyes on the prize?