As 2024 winds down, do you find yourself looking back with a sigh, wishing some moments had played out differently? Maybe it’s a missed opportunity, a fractured relationship, or a word you desperately wish you could take back. Regrets are part of life on planet earth. But they don’t have to define us.
This question came to me during my year-end FAITH INVENTORY as the calendar flipped to December over the weekend:
“If I could do it all over again, what would I change? Would I undo the worst mistake I ever made?”
Every believer has a moment they wish they could erase:
• A relationship that ended in pain.
• Words that wounded.
• A decision that betrayed our values.
• A failure to show up as a parent, friend, or colleague.
Regrets sting because there are no do-overs, no undo keys, no time machines. But what if the key isn’t erasing the past but redeeming it?
From Regret to Redemption
The gospel offers a stunning truth: God doesn’t just forgive us; he repurposes our regrets.
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…” Romans 8:1
The Apostle Paul knew this better than anyone. Once a persecutor of Christians, Paul carried a weighty past. Yet he boldly declared:
“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience…” Timothy 1:15-16
God does NOT waste our pain. He transforms it. Our worst moments can become a platform for his glory.
A GPS for Your Soul
Think about your smartphone’s GPS. Make a wrong turn, and it recalibrates. The path may look different, but the destination remains the same. That’s what God does with our lives when we trust him with our regrets.
But beware: Satan loves to weaponize our regrets, using them as wedges to separate us from God. In contrast, God steps into those same spaces, whispering: “I’m not finished with you yet.”
Faith Inventory: Release & Renew
As we approach 2025, dealing with regrets is a vital part of our annual, year-end FAITH INVENTORY. Here’s a simple exercise that has worked really well for me through the years:
1. Reflect: Write down a regret that weighs on your heart.
2. Surrender: Pray over it, asking God to transform it into a tool for his glory.
3. Plan: Ask how you can press forward with renewed purpose.
“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14
What About You?
What regret or missed opportunity does God want you to release? What new hope does he want you to embrace in 2025?
Remember, YOUR story is NOT over. It’s just BEGINNING.
