“For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” Luke 15:24a (NIV)

“If only I hadn’t made that dumb decision,” I lamented to my friend. “If I had known then what I know now, I would have made a different choice.”

Ever been there? Wishing you could turn back the clock to unmake a decision? To unquit a job, undate a guy or unspeak rash words?

We all have decisions we regret, and we regret them for different reasons.

Maybe we lacked information, so we made the best choice we could with the knowledge we had at the time, but things still went sideways.

Maybe we lacked maturity — our older, wiser selves would make a better choice today, but our younger, less-experienced selves were in charge back then.

Maybe we lacked conviction, so we made a sinful choice that hurt our heart or hurt other people.

That last kind of regret is the hardest to move past, isn’t it? Regrets over sinful decisions may haunt us not only because they carry painful consequences but also because they make us spiritually insecure. We worry that even when God forgives us, He stays low-key angry. We picture Him wagging a condemning finger from His heavenly throne: Don’t come whining to me. You got yourself into this mess — now get yourself out of it.

But that’s not the heart of our gracious Father. In His parable of the prodigal son, Jesus illustrates God’s heart toward us. The parable describes a son who squandered his inheritance in “wild living” (Luke 15:13, NIV) and ended up starving and alone — literally wallowing in a pigpen.

When the humiliated son finally came to his senses and limped home, we might expect his father to have greeted him with anger or a smug “I told you so.” But Jesus depicts the father like this:

“ … While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him … Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found’” (Luke 15:20-24a, NIV).

The father wasn’t just happy about his son’s return. He was leap-off-the-porch-and-sprint-down-the-driveway-to-hug-his-son-before-he-could-even-finish-apologizing excited. He threw a party and helped his son begin rebuilding his life.

As we grapple with our own regrets, what comfort we find in Jesus’ story. When we need a fresh start, God supports us. When we confess we’ve made a mess, He celebrates our repentance. When we’ve wandered away, we can come to our senses and find our heavenly Father waiting with open arms, ready to welcome us home.

Father, thank You for loving me through my mistakes. Thank You that I can start over, knowing I am forgiven and loved. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

Our past mistakes can sometimes feel like they’ll hold us back forever. But we’re never too far gone for God. In our new study, Fresh Start: A Study of the Book of Genesis, we’ll discover that even when things seem unfixable, God is in the business of making all things new — and that includes you. And for a limited time, we’re offering this study guide for just $13! So order your copy today, and make plans to start January in God’s Word with us! Shop now!

 

 

Elizabeth Laing Thompson’s book When a Friendship Falls Apart: Finding God’s Path for Healing, Forgiveness, and (Maybe) Help Letting Go helps you work through the regret and heartache we experience when a friendship fails.

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FOR DEEPER STUDY

Ephesians 2:1-6, “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus” (NLT).

How has God shown you grace when you’ve made poor decisions? How has He helped you move past regret and start fresh? Share your story in the comments.

© 2024 by Elizabeth Laing Thompson. All rights reserved.

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