66. The Distraction Of Regret Says, “You Did That?”

We’ve paused recently to ponder some distractions in our lives here on the podcast, and today we’re discussing one that I think we can each relate to. The Distraction of Regret. Because who doesn’t have at least one regret in this life? Who hasn’t messed up? Who hasn’t made a mistake we wish we could do differently given the chance? Hang with me here for the next short while and together we will find help and hope, and a whole lot of encouragement when it comes to regrets.

Marlon Brando once said, “I think to regret is useless in life. It belongs to the past.”

I’m going out on a limb here to guess we’ve all felt the weight of regret. You and I have both experienced regret regarding something. Something done or not done.

What’s something from your past that you regret?

Are you carrying any regrets around with you today?

You know? Sometimes our regrets can be so intense, they become major distractions in life. I believe it’s one of the tools the enemy of our souls uses to keep us from flourishing and becoming all God desires us to be. He uses it to try to consume our thoughts, to control what we do, and to keep us stagnant. Because when we’re distracted, we are less effective to live out the lives God has called us to. When we’re distracted, we can’t live in the moment. And when we’re distracted, we miss what God has for us in the here and now.

The distraction of regret tells us awful things.

Such as:

• “If they only knew what you did!”
• “What you did shows just how flawed you are!
• “God could never use or love anyone like you.
• “You’re a failure, a mistake, a disappointment.”
• “You will regret this for the rest of your life.”
• “What you did is unforgiveable, unfathomable, unfavorable.”

Because the distraction of regret says, “You did that?” But God says, “It doesn’t matter what you’ve done or haven’t done. I love you, anyway.”

I know how it feels to live with the distraction of regret.

And in this episode, I share how I let it run my life. I also share what God did to rescue me from it. We also discuss four ways to say goodbye to our regrets for good.

Listen to the full 14-minute episode by clicking the player above.

But the distraction of regret belongs in our past. Not in our day today. God has better things in store for us. I pray you experience His freedom and His amazing grace as you release any regrets you’ve been carrying. Thank you for being here today. It’s a joy to journey with you. God bless you!

Links in this episode:

Marlon Brando quote
Definition of regret
Lucy Maud Montgomery quote
1 John 1:9 CEV
Galatians 5:1 MSG
Romans 3:23 NLT
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 VOICE
Encouragement for Real Life Community
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