Regret: September 6, 2013

TODAY’S WORD FOR FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2013.

REGRET

DEFINITION:  

To feel sorrow or remorse for an act, fault or failure.


 SCRIPTURE:

When Judas, who had betrayed Jesus, saw that He was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. I have sinned, he said, for I have betrayed innocent blood. Matthew 27:3

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Most people could write a book about all of the times they regretted something they said or did. Let us assure you that as we think about what we will write about this word "regret," we think of many incidents that pop out in our minds. Most often we regret what we say or do too late. The damage has already been done.

When we think of the best illustration in the Bible about regret we think of the deep regret that Judas must have had after he realized what a terrible thing he had done to Jesus.

Judas was seized with remorse. By this time the chief priests and the elders had made their decision to put Jesus to death. When Judas realized that Jesus was going to be killed he regretted deeply what he had done so much so that he went to the chief priests and returned the money he had received to betray Jesus. He wanted to undo what he had done so he confessed to the chief priests and elders saying, "I have sinned for I have betrayed innocent blood."

He hoped his confession and his profession that Jesus was innocent would change the minds of the chief priests and the elders. It was too late. His thoughtless act of betrayal had already set in motion the consequences of what he had done.

Who we are and what we are develops out of the decisions we make in life. Every day we make choices. We choose what we do, where we go, who we talk to, what we read and what we watch. All of our choices have consequences. Our choices will either have a positive effect on our life or a negative one. And something we do not often consider is that our choices affect others.

On every decision we make we should think before we act. It is our nature to want immediate gratification. When that is our motive we will make bad decisions that we will regret later and most of the time too late to make right. Even an apology is really not sufficient because the damage is already done.

Any decision that we make that is in disobedience to God's laws will bring consequences that will cause us to regret what we have done. We need to consider each day if our decisions are made in accordance to what God wants us to do.

Sunday schools some years ago used the phrase "What would Jesus do?" in teaching children how to make the right decisions. WWJD became the acronym for that phrase. Some of our grandchildren had bracelets that they wore with WWJD on them. It was a reminder to them to stop and consider what Jesus would do in the same situation that they were in. That is exactly the question we should ask ourselves before we make a decision. If we did this we would have fewer regrets.

God never makes us do anything but He is always there waiting for us to ask for His guidance and help to make the right decisions.

Judas regretted his decision to betray Jesus. Regret is never enough. He went to the wrong people to set things right. Judas confessed to the high priests that he had sinned and betrayed an innocent man. Judas should have repented and sought forgiveness from Jesus. If there are things you have done or are doing that you regret, now is the time to repent and ask God's forgiveness.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse today is found in I Thessalonians 5:17.

Pray without ceasing.

PRAYER:

Lord, I come to You, asking You to lead me and guide me in every decision I need to make today. Help me to evaluate all the consequences of my decisions. Give me wisdom so that I can see what Jesus would want me to do. I regret and confess my sins of disobedience to You and ask for Your forgiveness.