2 Corinthians 7:10, “Godly sorrows bring repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”

Think:

Regret is something everyone has experienced at one time in their life. It is unavoidable. Whether it is a bad outfit, an unwise word, a poor decision, or a tattoo, bad choices follow you. Regret can plant roots in your soul.

In Exodus 8, you will find Pharaoh and Moses battling it out over the freedom of the Israelites. After each plague, Pharaoh goes through similar feelings of regret and asks Moses to make it stop. Then, he reverses his call. We see the two sides of regret (wishing something had never happened) and repentance (taking action to prevent it from happening again). Only repentance will lead to change. Pharaoh wanted God to fix the nation’s problems, but only a change of heart would truly break the cycle.

Breaking the cycle begins with a breaking point. We have to want Jesus more than we want to be right, more than we want what we want. God sent Pharaoh a way out, in the form of Moses’ invitation to repent, and He sent the same invitation to us through the cross. His invitation gives us the power to change, but it’s only when we acknowledge our brokenness that we are motivated to change.

Act:

What is something that you feel regret about, but have yet to take steps of repentance for? The change can begin today. What’s your first step?

Pray:

God, I give You my past. I want to change, and I want You more than I want to be right. Please help me change my course. Amen.