For I will forgive their iniquity; and their sin I will remember no more.

Jer. 31:34

Many of us on the journey carry around a backpack of regrets. We wish we hadn’t said this, done this, fallen for that line. We wish we hadn’t been sop irresponsible. Some of us flog ourselves on a daily basis with “if onlys” and “what ifs.” It’s easy to turn these regrets into excuses for not accepting responsibility. They can be an excellent justification for failure and self-pity, and they can cause us to stay dependent on others rather than facing life on our own.

God invites us tenderly to release our regrets through confession-words backed up by a change in our behavior. Then God promises to forgive us and wipe our slate clean-to remove our transgressions completely.

A priest was told that a woman in his congregation had visions. To test her he told her to ask God what the last sin the priest had confessed was. A few days later, the woman sought the priest out and told him she had followed his request. “Well, what was the last sin I confessed?” he asked. The lady smiled, “God said he couldn’t remember.”

If God can’t remember the regrets we’ve confessed  to Him, who are we to carry them around?

Prayer:  Lord, help me to use my energy on growth rather than regrets.