11-3-2014

Good Morning All,

        2 Corinthians 7:10; “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.”

        Frank Sinatra sang it; Elvis Presley sang it; Paul Anka sang it; and there are many more but they are the “biggies”.  Paul Anka actually adapted the song from a French song and wrote it especially for Frank Sinatra.  It is titled “My Way”.  The song is about exactly what it says; a man tells of living his life and doing this his way.  It has a line that I always like; “regrets, I’ve had a few, but then again too few to mention.”  This is the basic goal of this singer; to have no regrets in a life that he lived.  Do you live a life of no regrets or do you “have a few”?

     Regret can lead to a despair that can cause us to feel that God’s grace is not sufficient.  We look and think that our life could have been so much better “if only”.  “If only” I had bought that land or not bought that land.  “If only” I would have taken that job or married the “other one;” if only life was different.  We often want it to be different because we believe it would have been better; no one wants a different life that would have been worse.  Yet when we live with regrets; the regrets always assume that life could have been, would have been and should have been far better than our life truly is.

    Our verse is telling us that godly grief (regret) for sins we commit leads us to a repentance where we leave the sin behind and look forward to live in God’s grace.  This type of regret is the type that causes our conscience to see the wrong we have done, to see the pain that we inflict.  This should produce the penitent heart which releases the sin and strives to live a more godly life.  It is the worldly grief (regret) that leads to doubt and pain.  It is the worldly grief that leads to the regret that causes us to think that our life should have been better, that God somehow shortchanged us.

    Once we start down that path; there is only pain to come about.  This is a situation that will only cause us to hurt as we question God, his grace, and the sufficiency of that grace.  The Apostle Paul is telling us to stay away from this line of thinking; it will only hurt.

    Rather, we are encouraged to look at the blessings that God bestows on us every day.  He gives us life and breath and above all; he gives us the forgiveness of sins and the hope of life eternal.  He blesses our life because of his mercy in all of our life regardless of the situation that we find ourself in.  God’s love for us does not depend on the choices you make; God’s love depends upon God and his nature.  We have no need to have the worldly regrets because different options would not make God love us more than He already does.  There is no greater love than that of God, so regrets we really have none.

Father of all grace, lead us to have no regrets.  Lead us to see that your incredible grace for us is beyond anything that we can comprehend.  Lead us to rejoice in your mercy.  Be with those who feel that they regret so much of life.  Help them to see the grace in their life and know that they are safe within your wondrous loving arms.  In the precious name of Jesus, our Risen Savior we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret