DAY 20 – A Dose of Healthy Regret

20 ELUL 5769

STEP TWO:  REGRET YOUR SIN

I was visiting the deep heart of Texas one summer with my sister and our grandparents.  As my sister and I were walking up the dirt road that led back to madear’s home we came across a colony of red ants.  The ants had created a hole in the dirt and the dirt pile encamped around the hole.  My eleven year old mind thought it would be fun to kick the dirt and scatter it across the road.

Regret filled my heart when I saw the ants move quickly to rebuild what I had torn down.  What had taken me less than five seconds to destroy would take the ants hours upon hours to rebuild.  I was so convicted, I began moving the sandy granules of dirt back to the original location.  I regretted what I had done and I have never forgotten that feeling of remorse.  To this day, I remind my children not to disrupt or destroy bug life unnecessarily.

Regret is healthy if it leads us to change our behavior.  It can be debilitating if there is no hope for change and redemption.  Healthy regret is good for the soul; it is the portal to rebuilding what we purposely or thoughtlessly destroyed.

We all need a good dose of healthy regret.  It will keep us honest about our imperfections and provide the much needed motivation to change those bitter, toxic rough roads within.

James 4:9-10 (NLT)  | ⁹ Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

~ by Aviah on September 9, 2009.