Over the past few weeks there has been a flurry of people posting photos like these, or catchy little meme photos with the saying,

“Never regret anything, because at one time it was exactly what you wanted.”

In junior high I stole things.
In the third grade a girl touched me & I her. It was in a bad way, and we knew it.
In ’89 I lied to my parents about getting beat up & threw my bike in a ditch so I could get a new one.
In high school I used girls & tossed them aside like Post-it Notes.
In college I broke the rules because I hated the system.
In my early years of ministry I struggled with porn.
In my adult years I entertained my ego and gave in to pride.
In my life, I’ve…
hurt people.
let down my wife.
been absent when my girls needed me.
lied.
stolen.
abused.
chosen addiction.
stood before a judge and deserved a penalty.

Never regret anything?

When faced with a question, I wonder what God has to say about it?

Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. -Romans 6:19-23

Shame and regret are some of the very emotions and heart conditions that lead my heart to repentance. My heart feeling heavy from the sin I’ve committed brings me to a place where I realize my need for forgiveness, redemption, God’s grace, etc. Adam & Eve were ashamed after eating the apple, Jonah was ashamed after running from God, the woman caught in adultery was ashamed in front of Jesus, and the Bible paints the disciples shame and regret numerous times as they fall short and let God down.

When I think about my past, and the stupidity I knowingly walked into on so many occasions… did it make me smile or happy? Absolutely. Sin is fun, and if you don’t think it is- you’re not doing it right. Satan doesn’t tempt us into something we wouldn’t enjoy. He entices us with things we’d LOVE to grab at. But, when I think about these things, it breaks my heart. The people I injured. The hearts I broke. The friends I destroyed. Never regret anything?

I’m growing into the man God is working on me to be with each stride and day that goes by. As I look forward, I love what I see. As I look back, I’m saddened by my past. While I’ve learned from it, there are some things I would love to go back and change. Knowing what and WHO I know now…

Shame and regret can bring us to a place where our hearts are ready to experience true love, grace, and redemption.