King David had an affair with a soldier’s wife and subsequently had the warrior killed (2 Samuel 11:1-17). When confronted by his horrendous sins, David humbly owned up to them and said, "I have sinned against the Lord" (2 Samuel 12:13). Realizing the "old David" would be of little use to his family, his nation, or his God, he prayed, "Create in me a pure heart, O God" (Psalm 51:10). He released his sins to God and asked for a new start.

Paul the apostle had reason to regret many of his actions before his conversion. He repented that he had hunted down Christians, put them in prison, and had them killed (Acts 9:1, 2). But later he made his goal, "Forgetting what is behind" (Philippians 3:13). He realized the past could not be relived, nor could it be changed. Focusing on past actions would rob him of future usefulness to God and his cause. The only realistic way for Paul to deal with the mistakes in his past was to put them behind him—to forget them.

Joseph’s brothers rejected and hated him (Genesis 37:4). Later they kidnapped Joseph and sold him into slavery (37:28). We can only guess how the brothers grieved during the next 22 years, pretending their father’s beloved son had been killed by a ferocious animal. When the 11 brothers met Joseph years later, he sensed their anguish and instructed them, "Do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves" (Genesis 45:5).

Then Joseph made an astounding statement about his trials in Egypt. He told his brothers, "It was to save lives God sent me ahead of you" (Genesis 45:5). We may not see how good could have come from the brothers’ cruel treatment of Joseph, yet God has the ability to take the worst situation and turn it around. Joseph’s life experiences assure us that with God, past wrongs can result in present good.

Regrets have a way of eating into the fiber of your life, leeching out energy, and sapping ambition. This is Satan’s work. He will repeatedly throw past mistakes in your face, reminding you that you are a failure, robbing you of spiritual, emotional, and mental strength. Another step in healing of regrets is to "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans12:2).

The healthy, biblical way to deal with past mistakes is to get beyond the regret stage to the "forgive yourself" stage. God forgives and forgets your sins when you bring them to him. Through prayer and Bible reading, he is able to renew your mind until past transgressions are only memories.

Paul said, "I press on" (Philippians 3:14). We can’t reverse the past. But God can change our minds and emotions to think healthy, productive thoughts and to move on to a greater future. |L

OTHER COLUMNS:
November 15, 2009 - Bringing Christ to French Guiana
November 1, 2009 - Walking the edge
October 18, 2009 - Watch what you say
October 4, 2009 - Proposing a new proverb
September 20, 2009 - Fear and trembling
September 6, 2009 - Elwyn
August 23, 2009 - Where did the Bible go?
August 9, 2009 - The public school: a local mission field
July 26, 2009 - Astonishing the judges
July 12, 2009 - Letting the past go
June 28, 2009 - Line up
June 14, 2009 - The path to spiritual growth
May 31, 2009 - A tribute to one of my heroes
May 17, 2009 - Silent soldier
April 19, 2009 - Operation Resensitization
April 5, 2009 - The temptations of ministers
March 8, 2009 - Conversation over shoes
February 22, 2009 - By their plurals you shall know them
February 8, 2009 - What is missing from your retirement plans?
January 25, 2009 - Turn the page
December 28, 2008 - Abba, Father
December 14, 2008 - Elementary truths
November 30, 2008 - The illusion
October 19, 2008 - Acting like a toddler
October 5, 2008 - Don’t miss this
September 21, 2008 - Foolish schemes
September 7, 2008 - God’s hand is everywhere
August 24, 2008 - The dance
August 10, 2008 - Strange land
July 27, 2008 - God’s amazing grace
July 13, 2008 - A best seller
June 29, 2008 - My grandfather’s clock and worship
June 1, 2008 - Reclaiming the name
May 4, 2008 - God is not our fairy godmother
April 6, 2008 - Success: what is it and who can measure up?
March 9, 2008 - Need to know
February 10, 2008 - The top three myths of singleness
January 13, 2008 - By invitation only
December 5, 2007 - Yes, Abbie, there is a Jesus
November 18, 2007 - 10 Ways to be a good Christmas customer
October 21, 2007 - The dividing line
September 23, 2007 - What do you fear?
September 9, 2007 - A life well lived
August 26, 2007 - To murmur, or not to murmur
July 29, 2007 - The cross and the Christian
July 15, 2007 - Turning the other cheek: still a valuable biblical principle
July 1, 2007 - Why the tie?
June 3, 2007 - The death of a son
May 6, 2007 - A prayer for the dying
April 8, 2007 - The omnipresent God
March 11, 2007 - Do the Amish have superheroes?
February 11, 2007 - What’s your black history?
January 14, 2007 - The split branch
December 31, 2006 - The house of regret
December 10, 2006 - The redemption of the innkeeper
November 26, 2006 - Too many choices
November 12, 2006 - Break the bashing habit: Learning to love the unsaved like Christ does: November 12, 2006
October 15, 2006 - Be ‘salt and light’ this Christmas!: October 15, 2006
September 17, 2006 - Who is a legalist?: September 17, 2006 Issue 38
July 23, 2006 - God speaks through our brokenness: July 23, 2006 Issue 38
June 25, 2006 - 'What I am looking for in my church leaders'