Good morning. “If only…” Those are usually words of regret. “If only I had hung in there and finished–high school or college or a grad degree, I’d have more choices in life today.” “If only I hadn’t done that or said that or refused to do what was needed, my marriage or my friendship or my relationship with him or her would still be intact.” “If only I had truly committed the time and the energy to do my best, I would still have that job or that marriage or that opportunity.” “If only I had stayed with those lessons, I would be able to play the piano or be able to dance or to ski or to…whatever.” “If only I hadn’t given up on God, turned my back on my church, left my faith behind, I would have hope instead of this despair.”
Quitting can be costly. Life is filled with what we could call “quitting points.” Those are the times and places in our lives when we give up or turn away and refuse to try any longer. We all have them, and quite often we regret giving in to them.
For our thought from God’s Word today I would like to share from Philippians 3:12-14 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
The way that I see this passage applying to the regrets we may have over those life shaping quitting points is that it tells me to quit doing that!
Yes, we have failures that have marked our lives. Yes, we have regrets over what we could have/should have done. But that doesn’t mean that the questionable choices of yesterday need to define and/or destroy our life today or tomorrow.
As the apostle says, we’re not yet perfect. That won’t happen until Christ claims us as His own when we meet Him face to face. That is when our forgiveness is final. That is when our goal will be fully achieved.
The key is to press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. The “it” in this sentence is the fullness of perfection in Christ.
The way to reach that goal is to run unencumbered. Paul says that he has learned the value of forgetting what lies behind. Past regret will no longer entangle his present or determine his future.
The second key described is that he has learned to press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. It is all about focus. It is all about keeping our attention on the glorious promises of God for our present and our future rather than running our race while looking back over our shoulder.
Give up the regrets, and praise God for the promises of today, tomorrow, and eternity.
Vern