I have been thinking a lot about regret lately. I don't have many, but I've got a few. I suspect that most of us do. If I were to make a list of them I suppose it would look like this:

• I regret not pursuing further education when I was younger
• I regret not having more patience raising our kids
• I regret the money I should have saved when I could have
• I regret not having that second cup of coffee

But as for the important decisions of my life, I carry no remorse. When I was 18 I bumped into a man who was filled with disaapointment. He was a professional in his late 50s, had his Ph. D., was well respected in his field and lived in a beautiful home. What he regretted was that he never followed the calling of God in his life. He confessed that when he was in his early 20s pursuing his education, he felt that God was calling him into Salvation Army officership. He didn't say no; he just said not now. Then he repeated those words again and again until he found himself at a time and place where the Spirit of God had left him alone to pursue his dreams.

Late in his career he was filled with regret, and I determined that I never wanted to be like that. I didn't want to find that the years had taken a toll on my soul.

I have met others who lamented the choices they made. Some tried to live vicariously through their children; others tried to do as much good as they could in their later years. Regardless, they have taught me a valuable lesson: Life goes by us once, and the decisions we make give us the life we have.

In 26 years of officership, I've been invited into hundreds of homes and witnessed people's conflict, disappointment, doubt and fear. But in all of those situations, regret provided the greatest sense of loss for what could have been.

This is a new day. The sun will rise once again whether you can actually see it or not. This is God's gift to you to begin again! Today, in the spirit of new beginnings, ask God to keep you keenly aware of his presence, to act on his promptings and to live lives that are filled with promise not regret.

fred_waters1Major Fred Waters is an Area Commander in the Prairie & Northern Territories Division. Edmonton and the north is his perspective presently on family, friends and ministry. Fred enjoys outdoor activities such as camping, hiking and gardening. Together with his wife, Wendy, he has shared in the experiences of youth ministry, corps officership and administration.

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