Here Are 4 Ways to Deal With Regret So You Can Fulfill Your Life Purpose
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. 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 (NIV)
You may have said or done some things to others that you regret or are ashamed of. You wish you could turn back the hand of time and improve things, but you can’t. Burying the past, beating yourself up, or blaming others will not change anything. So how should you deal with this regret to move forward in life?
Here are four ways you should deal with regret so you can move forward and fulfill your life purpose :
Admit your past mistakes
Sometimes we try to escape our past mistakes by pretending and acting as if nothing happened. That is not how it’s supposed to be. Admit that you’re wrong and if possible, ask for forgiveness from the people you have hurt.
Once you have done that, choose to live differently by becoming the best version of yourself. No one is perfect. So stop worrying about your past mistakes and start praising God and thanking Him for forgiving you whenever the enemy reminds you about what you did.
Turn to Jesus
Stop focusing on what you have done or the kind of treatment you’re receiving from the people you hurt, and turn to Jesus.
Ask him to forgive you for the pain you’ve caused and to bring healing to those you have hurt. Jesus has already paid for your mistakes and is ready and willing to forgive you. Just because someone has refused to forgive you doesn’t mean you should keep living with regret. Surrender them to Jesus and ask Him to deal with their hearts. Accept the forgiveness Jesus is offering to you and start living life more abundantly. (John 3:16)
Forgive yourself
Many people, including Christians, have failed to move on with their lives because of past mistakes. We need to understand that we are all sinners. We will never do things perfectly all the time.
Forgive yourself even if other people are not willing to forgive you. Jesus has already paid for all your past, present, and future sins, so you are no longer under condemnation. Choose to walk in the freedom Jesus paid for, and do not let the enemy control you with your past mistakes.
Put the past behind you
Putting the past behind you does not mean you are denying that you did something wrong. It is good to admit your mistakes, but it’s not good to keep on reliving them. Even though Paul was formerly persecuting christians, He did not let his past mistakes overshadow his purpose in life. He chose to forget the past and focus on what was ahead. Like Paul, we can also focus on what lies ahead of us instead of living in regret.
In short:
Everyone makes mistakes in life. But we should not let those mistakes block us from becoming the people God wants us to be. Yes, there may be repercussions that you will have to deal with for your errors. Own it, learn from it, and allow God to help you navigate and focus on the future.