I’d like to say I have no regret in life. But that would be a lie. I am human, so it’s inevitable that I will have wished I had done some things differently. For instance, I once thought it might be fun to throw marbles into a nest of ground bees. I immediately regretted that! Of course, I regretted it then, but I do not regret it today. Not only do I have a humorous story to tell, but I learned from the experience.
And because of the latter, it’s helped me along my path in life.
Our regrets typically are found in two ways: the things we did and things we did not do. And, though there is no way I would have ever regretted NOT throwing marbles into a bee’s nest, there are undoubtedly more regrets over actions not taken than over those I did.
And this is where we come to the seventeenth resolution of Jonathan Edwards. It specifically considers the topic of what we may regret when our time on earth is complete.
Jonathan Edwards Resolution 17
Edwards’ Resolution #17 (as it was written)
Resolved, that I will live so as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.
Edwards’ Resolution #17 (in my modernized language)
My earthly demise will not include regret.
What is Regret?
A survey of definitions on any search engine will quickly lead you to associate regret with sorrow or remorse. It often has a semblance of disappointment about what has or has not happened. And, as humans, it’s completely natural to have regrets, because failure is a common condition. One that’s basically assured.
And here we must also point out that even God experiences regret. In fact…
The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart.
– Genesis 6:5-7 NLT
You see, having seen the wicked ways present within his creation on earth, God regretted making man. It does not mean he made a mistake in creating us. Rather, his heart fills with sorrow because we screw up so much. Just like my dad might have been sorrowful for not having gotten rid of the bee’s nest before his ornery child could stir it up.
One other thing that is super important to remember about regrets: our regrets are vastly different than God’s. That’s because our regrets come from unwise choices or sinful desires. God, of course, is all wise and free of sin.
Regret is Not Repentance
We could discuss in more detail how God’s regret and human regret differ. However, for our purposes, we’ll cover just one more: regret is NOT the same as repentance. You might be sorrowful over something you regretted. However, it does not automatically mean you repent of it. For instance, I was incredibly sorry for tossing those marbles into the bee’s next. I never sought their forgiveness – probably because I was certain they would sting me again. But also, I was mad at them, so I really didn’t care if they forgave me.
Funny. I was mad at them for the actions they took to defend themselves against my hubris!
Tying this back to biblical regret, though, consider Esau. Remember him? He was the older brother of Jacob, to whom he sold his birthright for a meal. After that, Jacob and his mother conspired to ensure that deal was consummated. Esau went on to live a life that was immoral and without God.
We’re told that he regretted his decision.
However, we’re also told that he never repented of his sin (Hebrews 12:16-17).
How to Have Fewer Regrets
Like Esau, regret can lead us to self-destruction. And that will be the case in a Godless life. However, God seeks for regret to lead us toward hearts of repentance.
So, how do we live a life of no regret? How might it help in ensuring that, when we end our tenure on Earth, we are free of such remorse?
Here, it would be easy for me to write, “follow the teachings of the Bible.” And that is true. In fact, God instructs us in how we are to live through the teachings of the Bible. But it’s one thing to know all the words and know all passages; it’s a completely different thing to live the Bible.
That requires a life that is passionate for pursuing God. You see, experiencing God’s grace and mercy provides us with a way to reconcile our regrets so they no longer cloud over us. He is the one source of erasing our inevitable regrets.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
– Psalm 51:12 NKJV
Assurance of Freedom from Regret
As we know God more by spending time with him in prayer, reading his word, knowing his nature, and adapting it into our own, we nurture the fruits of the spirit within us. We are perfected and grow as disciples into Christ-like-ness in the process.
We should hold faith in this assurance, putting all regret in the hands of our God. Further, as we move from regret to repentance, we should hold equal faith in the assurance of pardon. And then, we can enter into eternal life with no regrets.
It reminds me of one of the most beautiful and uplifting passages of scripture:
“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—
– Joel 2:25-27 NIV
the great locust and the young locust,
the other locusts and the locust swarm
my great army that I sent among you.
You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,
and you will praise the name of the Lord your God,
who has worked wonders for you;
never again will my people be shamed.
Then you will know that I am in Israel,
that I am the Lord your God,
and that there is no other;
never again will my people be shamed.