Living Without Regret

by

Pastor B.J. Knefley

I do not know when I adopted this but at some point in in my life, I figured out that I did not want to ever say, “I wished I’d.” Specifically, this means living without regret. I have met many people who have shared that they did have regrets. Regrets about relationships that were broken, regrets about words that we said, and even words that we did not say.

You have heard that phrase about taking the high road, well that means doing the right thing simply because it is the right thing. Making that call without getting one in return, reaching out to those that you love and care about regardless of what they are doing back to you. Perhaps even making a list of the things that you would not want to wish you had done differently. Knowing what this might look like can cause you to act in the moment rather than sometime in the future. Why? Simply because as you are aware, sometimes the future is too late.

All of this comes down to choices, yours not the other persons. How you live your life is your responsibility. Only you can choose to take the high road in life. Only you can extend the olive branch. If you wait for others you may be waiting a lifetime. The time to act is now, not tomorrow. What you put off for today often will rarely be done tomorrow. I have learned that it is best to act as soon as it pops into your mind. If I wait, I will typically forget and move on to something else.

Interestingly it always relates to the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. Think about how you would like to be treated, how you would like others to act on your behalf. We each have the opportunity to cause others to feel significant and valued. For me the word is celebrate. Learning to celebrate others changes relationships. At the end of the day, it is about what I do, not what others do. The power lies within the individual. How I choose to act can and will affect how I live and whether I live a life of regrets. Think about it.