Don’t Bet On It

Genius. That’s the only word I can think of to describe Blaise Pascal.

If you aren’t familiar with Pascal, let me just give you a quick bullet-point bio:

  • Renowned French scientist, inventor, psychologist, philosopher
  • Child prodigy –mastered Greek and Latin by twelve
  • He invented the first mechanical calculator as a teenager in 1642
  • “Pascal theorem” is named after him

Oh, and there’s one more thing you might be familiar with: Pascal’s wager. Does that ring a bell?

I remember learning about Pascal’s wager in my public school history class. It goes something like this (paraphrase):

If you believe in God only to find out He does not exist, you have lost nothing. But if you don’t believe in God and He does exist, you lose everything. Therefore logically it is most beneficial to believe in God.

That idea always bothered me because a relationship with Christ does not depend upon “playing the odds.” It is about placing faith in Christ alone.

I thought Pascal must have totally missed the whole concept of faith –until recently.

I was reading one of Pascal’s works when I came across his wager. Get this, my school textbook didn’t tell the whole story (imagine that)!

It turns out that Pascal did understand faith and he was just using his wager illustration to make an important point. If you read the whole context of his writing (something I thought we were supposed to have learned in school) it becomes clear that he is setting up a case for faith rather than a case for “playing the odds.” His reasoning goes like this:

  • A relationship with God is only through faith in Christ.
  • If it were based upon “playing the odds,” anyone would be a Christian because it makes sense in the long-run (insert wager illustration).
  • However, the fact that everyone is not a Christian means that deep in the heart of every man, there is something that is rebellious toward God.
  • Therefore, faith is necessary.

To sum up his point, Pascal states, “All those who have claimed to know God, and to prove Him without Jesus Christ, have had only weak proofs…”

Ouch –that convicts my heart! It’s easy for me to say that “playing the odds” Christianity is shallow and vain. But, honestly, I think I live that way sometimes. When I:

In fact, anytime I live as though total dependence upon Christ is not necessary to my standing with God, I am living as though I am merely “playing the odds.”

Check Your Direction

One of my goals when I was growing up was to have season tickets to my favorite college football team’s games (Think red, white, and snorting). I shared that with my wife after we got married and she said, “why don’t we get tickets for this season?” Yay! I did marry the most incredible woman in the world!

We sat on the ninth row in the end zone for our first game together as newlyweds.  I couldn’t have been happier –unless I had 50-yardline seats.

We were dominating some no-name directional school (northwest, southwest, or east something or another state university) throughout the first two quarters.

Then, came halftime. The band was playing, everyone was enjoying an evening of football bliss, and then, the ultimate: someone pulled out a beach ball.

I don’t know why the proverbial “beach ball in the stands at an athletic event” has always mesmerized me, but just suffice it to say that another major goal of mine has been to actually hit the beach ball (I know, it’s a little juvenile).

That night, the beach ball appeared in the end zone directly across from us at the stadium. My eyes caught sight of it and locked in. Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. The beach ball floated through the stands slowly making its way around the stadium.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of gazing upon the beach ball, it showed up in my section. Then, as if someone had perfectly placed the ball above my head and let it drop, the ball came directly to me!

I reared back with all my strength, ready to hit the ball. This was the moment I had dreamed of (seriously, no kidding).

Suddenly, with a violent whirl of my body, I hit the ball as hard as I could. Like a major league pitcher’s follow-through, I was now bent over forward, arm wrapped back around my body, head down… which meant, for a moment, I couldn’t see where I hit the ball.

Then, I started hearing the crowd. No, it wasn’t what I expected. Instead of loud cheers and applause for the greatest-beach-ball-hit-in-the-bleachers-of-an-athletic-event-ever, all I could hear was booing.

Booing? What was that all about? I stood up, looked around, and sure enough; everyone in my section was booing me. What in the world had happened?

I looked to my sweet, dear, loving wife for support. She was covering her face in shame.

And then, it hit me. I knew what had happened.

When I hit the ball I was facing forward –which meant I was facing the field –of which I was sitting very close… Yes, that’s right; I hit the ball onto the field.

Since it was halftime and the band was playing, nobody on the field was paying attention to get the ball out of the end zone and throw it back into the stands. I had ended that evening’s edition of the most cherished half-time tradition; and now I was paying for it as all of my fellow fans (dressed in the same red-and-white as me) were pointing and booing at me.

I couldn’t stop replaying the scenario throughout the second half. It kept playing in my mind as I asked myself, “what could I have done different?”

I made good contact and I had good form (at least I’d like to think so). And I certainly poured every ounce of energy into it. So what had gone wrong?

There was only one thing that I needed to change: direction.

If only I had turned a few degrees to the right or the left, the outcome would have been vastly different.

Every one of us has something we are going to pour all of our energy into. Commonly referred to as goals, dreams, or ambitions; these things require our focus, energy and attention.

But what if, at the end of your life, you realized that the very thing you had poured all of your energy into was in vain because you were pointed in the wrong direction?

Romans 12:2 encourages us to think ahead about the direction in which our lives are pointing.  “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

This verse starts by telling us what direction not to point toward. “Do not be conformed to this world.” In other words, don’t just go with the flow. My big mistake in the bleachers was that I didn’t question my direction up front.

As fallen humans, our first inclination is to do what culture has made “normal.” However, God desires for us to think for ourselves being “transformed by the renewal of your mind.” This requires active thinking about our direction in light of God’s Word. We must be proactively “discern(ing) what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

That’s a recipe for a regret-free life in which our goals point to the most important thing in life: God’s glory. So go ahead, give it all you’ve got. Pour everything into your goals –just be sure to check your direction first.

Victory in Discipline

My son, Bryce, is seven. Up to this point, he hasn’t warranted any severe discipline from me. Most of the time, just giving him a look or a serious word of caution has been sufficient. But, I imagine the day is coming when a more stringent measure of discipline will be necessary. And it will be painful.

Painful? Yes, painful –for him; but mostly for me.

Who really wants to see their child hurting or suffering? Even more, who wants to be the one to cause their own child to suffer pain?

Of course, we all know that the pain of discipline is meant to avoid the greater pain of rebellion. In the same way a control burn is performed to prevent the spread of a forest fire, the controlled pain of discipline purposes to stop the wildfire of disobedience and rebellion.

Discipline, then, is an extreme measure of love. While the recipient of discipline may feel that they are being treated unfairly or without love, nothing could be further from the truth.

For example, in Leviticus 26, God pronounces warnings to wandering Israel regarding the punishment for disobedience. One of the greatest punishments listed is subjecting his children to captivity and bondage by another nation. This ends up happening later as Israel and Judah are taken captive by Babylon and Assyria.

You can imagine how painful it must have felt for God’s people to endure such pain. After all, aren’t they supposed to be God’s chosen? Aren’t they his treasured possession?

But in the midst of his warnings of captivity, God explains; “Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not spurn them, neither will I abhor them so as to destroy them utterly and break my covenant with them, for I am the Lord their God” (Leviticus 26:44).

Even in the midst of the most painful discipline, God still loves His children. His discipline is for their good and for his glory! He uses discipline to direct our hearts back to Him. He will not break His covenant with them. Amazing love!

For His children, God’s discipline cannot be confused with the damnation for His wrath. All of the punishment and damnation for sin was placed upon His Son, Jesus, on our behalf.

“There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). However, there is much discipline for those He loves (Hebrews 12:6).

I imagine, when the day comes that I must execute greater discipline for my son, it will be incredibly difficult for both of us. In the midst of the discipline, however, it is my desire to make it crystal clear that I love him and am acting for his good –the same way God loves and disciplines me.

Why Does Growth Require Suffering?

Hebrews 2:10 “For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.”

The phrase, “perfect through suffering” stands out to me in this verse. Why did Jesus need to be made “perfect” and why did it include “suffering?”

Why Jesus Needed to Be Made “Perfect”

At first it sounds heretical –the idea that “he, for whom and by whom all things exist” could be made any more perfect than he already was. But here we must understand the idea of “perfect.” It is not being used in the sense of moral perfection (Christ had never sinned). Instead, it is another indication that Christ had submitted himself to being a human who grows. Luke 2:52 reminds us that “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature.” He came into the world as a baby and grew, just like any other little boy, into a man. So the “perfection” that is being described in Hebrews is a developmental perfection, not a moral perfection. It is the ultimate example of how God has designed humans to grow naturally over time in wisdom and stature (i.e. Character). Another word that could be substituted for “perfection” in this verse is “completion” –as in the completion of maturation.

This really takes the pressure off of me as I am growing. Not every failure or fall is a result of sin –many times it’s just an indication that I’m still growing (picture Bambi taking first steps here…).

Even more, it adds perspective to parenting. Not every glass of grape juice spilled on the carpet or Thomas the Train track left in the doorway to trip over is an act of sinful rebellion. Don’t get me wrong, there is still plenty of sinning going on in my house –Father and Son alike. But, many of the “issues” we deal with are simply a matter of God’s divine plan for humans to grow over the course of time. Christ’s example reveals that learning and growing is not a sinful act.

God uses many elements in our lives to help us grow in wisdom and stature. The greatest influence God provides is parents. For better or worse, children grow up to be like their parents. How many times have you said, “I sound like my mom,” or “That’s something my father would have done.” I’m sure there were times when Jesus said the same thing referring to Mary or Joseph.

Of course there are other factors that influence our growth. Pastors, teachers, friends, experiences, successes and failures all play into the mix. But there is one factor that Hebrews 2:10 points out as the key to Christ’s completion of growth: suffering.

Why Suffering Made Jesus “Perfect”

If only we could see suffering from God’s perspective. What looks like unjust, unwarranted, unsolicited pain to us is actually a beautiful process of sanctification to God. There is no greater peace in the midst of suffering than to know that God is in control and has a purpose. Truly, no suffering in the life of a believer happens in vain.

When you look back on your life, you realize that it is the moments of suffering that tend to build character the most. Images of athletes enduring painful training and farmers enduring the labor of their toil are biblical word-pictures that describe the benefits of suffering.

This all leads me to ask, why did God create a world in which suffering leads to gain? Perhaps it is because, in His creative plan, He desired to give us reminders of the suffering of Christ on the cross. Every time we grow through suffering, it is a small picture of the ultimate suffering in which Christ both became complete and completed the work that makes our growth possible in Him. So it is only fitting, that if Christ suffered to grant us new life, we should expect to suffer as that new life is developed within us. Just consider these verses:

Philippians 1:28, “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake”

Romans 8:16-17, The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

So perhaps, the key to suffering is to see it as a gift of God that allows us to identify with Christ’s sufferings. In this way, we rejoice both in Christ’s “perfect,” “complete” work on the cross and the work of growth that Christ is working in us on the road to “perfect,” “completion” in Him!

The next time suffering comes into your family’s life:

1)    Trust God. He has not forgotten you and your suffering is not in vain.

2)    Look to the Cross. Realize that Christ-likeness involves suffering. Anticipate a greater identification with Christ as a result.

3)    Be thankful that God is growing you.

4)    Guide your children to see their suffering in light of the Cross. Like it or not, this will probably not be the last time your children suffer. Why not give them an example of how a Christ-follower can magnify Jesus in the midst of suffering?

Do You Know Why I Pulled You Over?

Several years ago, I was pulled over for speeding. (Most state troopers aren’t moved by the fact that you are on your way home from preaching)

As I slowed down on the side of the road, Bryce asked, “What are you doing?”  I had a choice to make.

My desire is to be an example for Bryce. I want to disciple him in such a way that he can see a Christ-like life lived out in front of his eyes. Ideally that means that I’m making the right choices and living “above reproach.”

But what happens when I mess up? Do I say, “Bryce, close your eyes for the next ten minutes?” or “Ignore everything that happens next?”

It occurred to me that modeling a Christ-follower lifestyle requires exemplifying how to live above reproach even in light of mistakes, rebellion, and sin.

In fact, given the fact that I know my son is a sinner (something I passed down to him myself), it is possible that setting an example for how to react to our shortcomings might be one of the best lessons I can teach him.

Modeling Christ-likeness requires a disciple-maker to reveal “real life” to the disciple – faults included. This involves great intentionality because human nature prefers to hide imperfections just as Moses hid the fading effects of God’s glory on His face. Remember that? Embarrassed to let the people to see that he was unable to perfectly maintain the glow from his encounter with God, Moses wore a veil (Exodus 34:29-35). His intentions were not to protect the people from the glow (as some have suggested), but to protect his pride from being exposed.

I didn’t want to repeat Moses’ mistake. So, I determined to do it right. I chose to honor Christ in the situation. I said “yes sir,” “no sir,” “I’m sorry sir,” and every other polite phrase you can think of to the officer. Then, when we drove away, I told Bryce how blessed we were that God sent the officer to remind us to slow down and be safe.

Suddenly, Bryce asked, “So did he give you a ticket?” I didn’t realize Bryce knew what a ticket was.

“Yes buddy, he gave me a ticket,” I said.

“Why dad?”

I proceeded to explain to Bryce how the officer disciplined me for my actions just like I sometimes have to discipline him for his actions.

Then, in a way that only a four-year-old could state it, Bryce said, “So daddies spank kids, and police officers spank daddies!” I couldn’t stop laughing…

Isn’t it wonderful that our mistakes are not wasted in discipleship? A disciple learns from the way his disciple-maker models growth even through adversity and faults. Therefore, II Corinthians 3:18 states, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” Just like Paul explains, we have the opportunity to share our unashamed testimony of transformation taking place through the power of Christ manifested through the Holy Spirit as we receive discipline and correction in front of our disciples.

So, are you willing to “remove the veil?” If so, remember:

  • Your disciple already knows you are a sinner. They really are curious how you deal with your sin and the consequences of your sin.
  • Don’t forget that someone is always watching your actions as well as your reactions.
  • Instead of hiding the consequences for your sin, talk through them with your disciple. It’s one of the best ways to cultivate deep relationships. Disciples long to know that their disciple-maker is “prone to wander” just like them. This gives them hope and encouragement for growth.
  • Make sure that your example is not an act, but rather a heart-felt response.
  • Never pass up a “learning moment” –especially when it requires humility.

So, pay attention to how you react to discipline. Its great for your disciples and it makes the state troopers job a little more pleasant!

Summer Memories

For some reason certain seasons of the year evoke different types of personal reflection. For instance, there is something about summer that lends itself to reflecting on family -particularly children. Maybe it’s the fact that school is out and the kids are having a blast. Or maybe it’s the way that summer is just a bit more relaxed than the other seasons (at least for me).

Recently, I have reflected with friends and family about how rapidly our children are changing right before our eyes. As we were all preparing for school to resume, we couldn’t believe the differences in clothing sizes, attitude changes, personality development, physical abilities, and cognitive abilities from just a year ago.

Perhaps it was during a summer-like season of Paul’s life that he reflected on the discipleship of the Thessalonians. In 1 Thessalonians 1:4-8, Paul provides a similar picture of spiritual development through discipleship.

For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.

Here are a few observations regarding how God uses discipleship to help people grow into maturity:

Discipleship is more than words. In verse 5, Paul explains that God used him to minister the gospel to the Thessalonians with more than words. Paul’s communication of the gospel was empowered by the Spirit and imparted through relationships. Imagine a triangle to symbolize the way God uses Paul to minister the gospel. One side of the triangle is “words,” another side is “Holy Spirit” and the third side is “relationships.” This is the model that seems to recur throughout Scripture.

Discipleship includes dual imitations. In verse 6, Paul describes the effects of the word/Spirit/relationship discipleship. Namely, he mentions imitation of “us and the Lord.” Secular discipleship contains the imitation of humans, but Christian discipleship has a greater scope: imitation of humans for the purpose of imitation of Christ.

Discipleship is fruitful. Paul shares how God produced fruit in the lives of the Thessalonian disciples as they “became an example to all the believers…” locally and around the known world -“your faith in God has gone forth everywhere…”

I think the last sentence of verse 7 sums up the result of Paul’s discipleship “”so that we need not say anything.” In other words, Paul’s discipleship had come full circle. Paul’s ministry had translated into the Thessalonians ministry. Like a parent who realizes that their child can “stand on their own,” Paul recognizes that the Thessalonians have now transitioned from disciples to disciple-makers -and the proof is in the fruit of their ministry seen manifest around the world.

So how can we examine our personal disciple-making in light of Paul’s example with the Thessalonians? Ask yourself these questions:

  • Is your discipleship more than words? Are you leaning upon the Holy Spirit and investing in relationships?
  • Is your discipleship promoting imitation of Christ, or just you? Are your disciples depending more upon you or Jesus?
  • Is your discipleship fruitful? Can you point to examples of disciples who have become disciple-makers?

Take advantage of this summer to reflect on your “spiritual family” and their growth.

 

What’s Driving Your Journey?

The end of Exodus describes God’s instructions for crafting the tabernacle and its furniture. Certain men were set aside for the task according to the special skills God had given them. Each element of the tabernacle and its furnishings were created to exacting detail as prescribed by God. Without a doubt, the tabernacle –God’s tent of dwelling- was a sight to behold.

At the end of Exodus 40, after the tabernacle was complete, the Bible describes the scene like this:

Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.

What a beautiful picture! The cloud by day and fire by night not only led the people throughout the desert, but it led them to worship. As the cloud and fire settled over the tabernacle, it was a sign of God’s dwelling with His people as “the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.”

What strikes me the most about this picture is the fact that “Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up.”

In other words, their journey was determined by their worship –not the vice versa. Can you honestly say that, in the same way, your worship of the holy God dictates the rest of your life? Or, would you have to admit that the circumstances of your journey dictate the nature of your worship?

Do you ever finish with God before He finishes with you?

Nine Years

This morning on the way to school, my son Bryce said, “In nine years I can drive myself to school.”

I almost rear-ended the car in front of me.

Could that be true, I wondered? It sure didn’t seem right, but after a quick calculation I determined his math was accurate.

Then it occurred to me, “nine years” seems totally different to Bryce than to me. After all, he hasn’t even lived nine years yet –how could he possibly comprehend it?

For him, nine years is an eternity. For me, nine years is tomorrow. It causes me to wonder where all the time has gone. Even more, I sense an urgency to “redeem the time” that I have left with Bryce before he moves away to college one day.

While Bryce feels like that day will never arrive, I feel like it is right upon me.

It reminds me of how God’s view of time is different from ours. “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day” (2 Peter 3:8).

I am like the child with no possible means to fathom the providential ways in which God is leading me. And, at the same time He sees it all from beginning to end. All the more reason to trust him more!

In the mean time, I’m praying for God’s timing when it comes to Bryce’s drivers license. If one day is like a thousand years, that would mean Bryce could drive in 3,285,000 years!

The Relevance of Wilberforce Today

As a member of British Parliament, William Wilberforce fought to abolish the slave trade and slavery altogether. One of his frustrations was found in the fact that self-identified Christians were willing to continue and support the slave trade.

In his efforts to understand why, he arrived at the conclusion that British churches had bypassed the strong biblical teaching and replaced it with a system of ethics. Although these ethics were originally based upon Scripture, they transformed and eroded over time by giving way to what was politically and economically convenient.

In his book, A Practical View of Christianity, Wilberforce explains,

The fatal habit of considering Christian morals as distinct from Christian doctrines insensibly gained strength. Thus the peculiar doctrines of Christianity went more and more out of sight, and as might naturally have been expected, the moral system itself also began to wither and decay, being robbed of that which should have supplied it with life and nutriment.

These words of Wilberforce, written over 200 years ago, reminded me of today’s plight in many evangelical churches. Many have wondered, “how could so many evangelicals support abortion, same-sex marriage, no-fault divorce, and other sinful practices?”

Is it possible, that an overdose of sermons based upon ethics and morals, devoid of the weighty teaching of Scripture has caused this current trend? Have we allowed our moral leanings to dictate our interpretation of the Bible rather than the Bible dictate our ethics and morals?

I am convinced that we cannot expect a change in the attitude of nominal Christians without a revival of strong, biblical preaching and teaching! Until then, we are susceptible to being slaves of popular opinion.

No Regrets

Last night I was sitting with two other widow/widowers. It was a beautiful thing to watch as one widow poured out Christ-like compassion upon a widower who had recently lost his wife of over 40 years.

I enjoyed listening more than talking. It was great to be able to observe what God was doing as he brought together all of our painful experiences for mutual edification.

It was in the midst of our conversation that the older gentlemen made a statement that blessed me. Looking back on his marriage to a wonderful lady, he simply said “I have no regrets.”

His statement arrested my attention. I knew what he meant.

How terrible would life be if I had to live with regrets for something I had said or done to Jill? Don’t get me wrong, there were plenty of times in our marriage where I hurt Jill with my words, actions, or attitudes -that’s a part of every marriage. But, I can honestly say I have no regrets because in each instance, Jill and I would reconcile with forgiveness.

One of the greatest blessings I have is the memory of telling Jill, just minutes before we were in the fatal accident, “I love you.” I can still see it in my mind -Jill looked right back at me from the back seat, smiled, and said “I love you too.” I meant it and she meant it. Life was good because we had no regrets.

Which is why, even though I never had a chance to hear her say, “I forgive you for the accident,” I know she does. Because we made a practice of making things right -forgiving as Christ has forgiven us. Its a beautiful gift of God to know that even in the last mistake I made in Jill’s life, she still forgives me -no regrets.

It reminds me of Ephesians 4:25-31: “Do not let the sun go down on your anger… Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear… Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

In this passage of Scripture, Paul gives us a great recipe for living without regret! Here’s a breakdown:

1) Never go to bed without reconciling. “Do not let the sun go down on your anger.” Sometimes this isn’t possible. For instance, you might be at odds with someone in another state who has poor cell phone reception and no email. But, more times than not, if you are close enough to offend during the day, you are close enough to reconcile during the day. Romans 12:18 says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”

2) Be proactive instead of reactive. “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear…” While it is possible to unintentionally offend (I’ve done it plenty of times), for the most part, we know what we are doing. Why not start at the root of the problem? Ask God to change your heart so that everything that flows from it will be uplifting to others. Jesus said, “out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45).

3) Be Christ-like. “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Jesus had no regrets on the Cross. If we desire to live “regret free” must forgive as Christ has forgiven us. As always, imitating Christ is the most blessed way to live. When we forgive others, not only do we experience “regret free living,” but we identify with Christ and magnify His forgiveness toward us.

In the words of Don Henly, “I’ve been tryin’ to get down to the heart of the matter, but my will gets weak and my thoughts seem to scatter. But I think it’s about forgiveness…”

Ultimately, we live without regret because Christ has taken our sin and paid for it on the cross. “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). All the regret for our sin has been eliminated in Christ’s sacrifice -reconciling us to God.

When we forgive others, not only do we enjoy the blessings of reconciliation, but we reflect ultimate reconciliation in Christ.

So go ahead, stop what you are doing and forgive those whom you need to forgive. Ask for forgiveness from those whom you’ve offended. Mend broken relationships. Cultivate friendships. “Shower the people you love with love” (obligatory James Taylor quote).

Take it from three widows/widowers, there’s no greater blessing than to know you have no regrets.