How to Get Past Regrets

Current Teaching Series You Make Me Crazy

How to Get Past Regrets By Rick Warren — Nov 11, 2016 “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands” (Isaiah 43:18-19 MSG). How often do you play the “If only” game? If only I could do it over again. If only I had listened sooner. If only I could erase the past. If only I could forgive myself. The thing to remember is that no one is perfect. We all have regrets. We’ve all made bad choices and said foolish things. We’ve all wasted time and hurt ourselves and others. How do you release your regrets? In my experience as a pastor, I’ve seen several strategies we tend to use that simply do not work: You try to bury your past. Burying the past will never help you get past your regrets. You can try to minimize (“It wasn’t a big deal”), rationalize (“Everyone does it”), and compromise (lower your standards), but your regrets are still there, and if unresolved, they’ll keep coming back to haunt you over and over again like a creature in a horror movie. We blame others. This tactic is as old as Adam and Eve. When Adam sinned, he took it like a man: He blamed his wife! We use blame to balance out our guilt. We beat ourselves up. We try to pay for our guilt unconsciously through illness, depression, setting ourselves up for failure, and other forms of self-punishment. The problem with beating up on yourself is this: Your conscience never knows when to stop! Some people spend their entire lives in self-condemnation. What does God want you to do with your regrets instead? Admit your guilt. Own up to it. Don’t make excuses. “A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance” (Proverbs 28:13 TLB). Accept Christ’s forgiveness. He’s waiting to clean your slate. Ask him to clear your conscience. Romans 8:1 says, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (NIV). Forgive yourself, and focus on the future. “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands” (Isaiah 43:18-19 MSG). PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over Do you tend to minimize, rationalize, or compromise your regrets? Is it possible to focus on the future without releasing your regrets? Why or why not? Why would a refusal to admit your mistakes keep you from being successful (Proverbs 28:13)?

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Series Summary Message 1: ​​ Six Keys to Peace In Relationships Message 2: ​​​​​​​​​​ Who's Pushing Your Buttons? Message 3: ​​ Resolving Conflict Message 4: ​​ Finding the Love of Your Life Message 5: Breaking Free from Abuse Message 6: ​​Escaping the People Pleaser Trap Message 7:  Keeping the Crazymakers from Making You Crazy Message 8: How to Keep Your Marriage Growing PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at pastorrick.com. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including "The Purpose Driven Church" and "The Purpose Driven Life," read by more than 100 million people in 137 languages. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered across America. This devotional © 2016 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe