2 Corinthians 5:15,17 (NIV) And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again…. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Philippians 3:12-14 (NASB) Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
There are so many regrets I have in my life. Of them all, my words and actions that inflicted pain on others have been the hardest to move past. Sure, some of the people I’ve hurt I see regularly and can make amends with them. I have the opportunity to choose better, to choose love and encouragement in these relationships. But there are others. People from decades ago that I will probably never see again. Where I am unlikely to have the opportunity to take face-to-face ownership for the emotional suffering caused by my choices. These are the regrets that tend to weigh me down the most and can be paralyzing if I let them.
However, when I lift my eyes from the mess of my past to see God’s perspective, I find something completely different. I find hope. Hope that the choices I regret the most have been forgiven. Hope that I am being transformed and getting further from the person I was every day that I chose to walk in the goodness of God. Yes, part of being a new creation (2 Cor 5:17) is genuinely apologizing. It is allowing God to change the direction of my life moving forward. But for hurts that will probably always be left unresolved, I don’t have to stay stuck in my guilt and shame. Forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead (Phil 3:13), I can press on (Phil 3:14). Jesus died to take this shame and guilt from me. He rose to give me new hope for today.
Like me, do you struggle with shame over how your choices have negatively impacted those around you? Maybe it’s with your friends, co-workers, spouse, parents, or even your children. If possible, take ownership of it. Choose a different way, God’s way, for your life today. It’s not one big decision like we are sometimes led to believe. Living for God, allowing Him to transform us takes place in a thousand little decisions that we make every day.
Finally, if it’s someone we will likely never cross paths with again, pray over that person. Let us pray blessings over their lives. Pray healing over the wounds our words and actions caused. And if anyone reading this today happens to be someone who suffered from my words in the past, from the bottom of my heart I apologize. I pray blessing and healing over any pain in your life that was a result of my shameful choices. Today, let each of us move forward in the grace our God generously supplies!
RECOMMENDED UPLIFTING SONGS:
Walking Free by Micah Tyler
Look What You’ve Done by Tasha Layton
Who You Say I Am by Hillsong Worship