A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken. – Proverbs 15:13, Amplified Bible (AMP)

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines regret as “to feel sad or sorry about something that you did or did not do.” Most people regret something that they have done, or they regret passing on an opportunity to do something that they did not do. Some regrets are small in nature, and they have little impact on the mind and heart. Others are huge and emotionally devastating. Of course, the best defense against regret is to begin with the end in mind, get our minds to think beyond the present moment, and consider the long-term consequences of our actions (or inactions). If we don’t like what we see when we look into the future, then nip that future regret in the bud by not making the regretful decision.

But, how are we to deal with the decisions we regret that we have already made? Well, we can choose to hold onto the sorrow that regret brings. Or, we can choose to exchange that sorrow for the glad heart of Proverbs 15:13. The process of exchanging sorrow for gladness is not easy, but it is simple, and it requires full faith and trust in the power of God’s Word.

Step 1 is to ask God to forgive us for any sin that underlies our regret. When we humbly ask Him to do so, He will do so (1 John 1:9). Then as Psalm 51:8-9 (KJV) teaches us, God will restore our joy as He blots out our sin:

⁸ Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

⁹ Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

Step 1 may not be necessary if our regret doesn’t result from sin. But, let’s be honest: most significant regrets in life arise from failing to obey God’s Word.

Step 2 is necessary regardless of whether or not our regret is founded in sin, and Step 2 is this: we must forgive ourselves and put the regret behind us. In Philippians 3, Paul acknowledges that he was far from attaining full conformity to Christ’s image. In other words, he knew he was a sinner, and he knew he wasn’t perfect. But, rather than let his mistakes drag him down, he instead chose to focus on growing spiritually. In Philippians 3:12-13 (AMP), Paul states:

12 Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own.

13 I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.

If God forgives us for our poor decisions, we should do the same. We should learn from our mistakes, put them behind us, and then push forward to the goal of becoming more like Christ.

Regret has the power to drag us down emotionally, spiritually, and even physically. Do your best to avoid future regret by making good decisions in the present. But, when it’s too late to change the past, be sure to seek forgiveness from God when necessary, stop dwelling on the mistakes of the past, and press forward towards the mark of the high calling of Jesus Christ!