Regret is not repentance
Regret is conscious of the wrong you committed, feeling remorseful. The natural instinct is to cover up the wrong through telling & hiding behind a fabrication of lies. The most you can tell is half truth, half lies; not the whole thing. Next would be an attempt to perform good deeds to cover up the wrong. This may help ease the discomfort - which may include guilt, condemnation, bad taste from lots of self blame & on others for causing the wrong for happening. After doing the good for a while, the person resorts back to the old pattern where the wrong happened. This vicious cycle repeats itself. There is no active will decision to change by forsaking the old to do the new.
Repentance is conscious of the wrong you committed, you may be angry & alarmed at this discovery, only to eagerly desire to make changes; to not do the same wrong again. It has a 3 fold directional change - Stop, turn around, go forward. Stop is to not move on in the direction that you know is wrong already. Turn around is a will decision that proves you really want to change, to stay off the old sinful trail. Go forward is on the direction of what is right. You engage the new by forsaking the old. The wrong cycle has no chance to repeat itself in your life. You are free to explore a whole new realm of good!
Live life with a clear conscience is better than a long life with remorse
Why live life with regrets when you can repent and make it good?
Consider the impact -
Live is not about yourself alone.
It's also about leaving scars on those around you whom you love
And what legacy will you want to create for the love of them
Should you genuinely love yourself and them
Make a choice for repentance, which leaves you no regrets
Live life daring to admit a wrong, to make it right
And Jesus can make all things beautiful in your life, in His time
A Prayer
Father God, I come today with a sincerely heart. It's about dealing with my real self, to see myself clearly & know who I really am. Search my thoughts & heart intentions, O God. When I did a wrong, give me courage to correct it, to decide, to make a choice to do right, to forsake the wrong. Protect me from denying Your truth. I decide not to hide behind a fortress of lies. Give me boldness to admit the wrong, & wisdom to live right. Use me as a blessing to be a testimony to those around me when they see my genuine change & progress in walking with You. In Jesus' Name I pray, amen.
