Failure Is Never As Painful As Regret!

"I would rather regret some of my failures in lifethan to live my life failing to forget myregrets." GR

In other words, failing at something and gettingback up is much less painful than to look back andregret not doing something (or doing something)and not being able to go back and change theoutcome. Each one of us has failed at something inlife, some of us more than others. Some of ourmishaps we have forgotten, others may still beeating away at us like a disease. I would thinkit's much easier to recall our failures in lifethan to bring up some of our regrets we may have.Neither failure nor regret can we change from ourpast, but we can chose to heal our regrets.

Did Jesus experience failures? Jesus was madeperfect in the sight of God, but he also was aperson with human emotions and characteristics. Iwould guess at times he felt things may not begoing his way and failure may have been hisfeeling of choice at that moment. Maybe the onlytime he had a regret was when he went up to prayon the Mt. of Olives the night before hiscrucifixion and cried out to God to take theworld's burden off his shoulders. But even thenhe knew in his heart God's purpose for his lifeand it wasn't supposed to be full of any regrets.

Do you have any regrets today that need healing?If you think about it you probably can find one ortwo. Can you do something about it? In one ormore cases you probably can. Will you do anythingabout it? That's up to you. Just think how freeingand uplifting that would feel if you had one lessregret, not to mention what it might do for theother people involved. Maybe you need to forgivesomeone or maybe you need to ask someone toforgive you. The bible says, "Get along with eachother, and forgive each other. If someone does youwrong, forgive that person as the Lord forgaveyou" Colossians 3:13.

I happened to be an adopted child at 5 days old. Igrew up around my biological family of foursiblings. I chose not to have a relationship withthem for thirty-six years for a number of reasonsthat were not good ones. It was only until lastyear in a hospital shared by my adopted mother andtheir father (not my biological father) that Godgave me an opportunity to voice to all of them inone room of my regrets. Growing up I regretted notbeing a close brother for all those years when Ihad the chance to. I regretted not being an uncleto their children when they didn't understand myactions. And I regretted my prideful nature ofthinking it was their choice to come to me. Allthis didn't change the past, yet it built somebridges so we could move forward. But, in somecreative way of God's in that hospital room thatsummer day, eight people came together from allover the country. Maybe, just maybe for the reasonthat one of us or all of us could walk away thatday having one less regret to remember. In whatoriginally were two people having life threatingsurgeries turned out to be a miracle of God's.Coincidence? I don't believe so. God's perfectplan? Yes, I have no doubt. Do I feel better byhealing that regret? You bet! Yes, I do regretsome of my failures, but there's one regret I willbe able to forget for the rest of my life.

Bob talked about the beatitudes this weekend. Whatbetter way to be merciful, and a peacemaker thanto take care of a regret.

How do you think Jesus felt after he wasresurrected from the grave? Glad he did it? Yes!What will you do this week to be able to forgetone or more of your regrets in life? Will you bemerciful? Will you be a peacemaker? Or will youpush it away again, OR WILL YOU ACT?

Greg Ryan is a best selling author of the Changing from the INSIDE OUT series. A powerful five step plan to better your life, get healthier, and have more energy! For FREE mini Course click here! http://www.resolutions.bz