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Sometimes I have spent too much time regretting decisions made, words spoken, and actions I have taken.
We all have such regrets at times, dear FC (peace to you!). And it can be pretty easy to "waste" time on such, especially if we are making things "about" ourselves. No one WANTS to feel bad (about himself/herself), but we all do, at times (unless we are unspeakably arrogant and so never feel even a twinge of regret - and there are such people, make no mistake).
WE, however, who are of the Body of Christ, can know that doing that... concentrating on our errors SO much... can drive us to the point of feeling sorry for ourselves or, worse, being angry with JAH/Christ. Even turning our backs on them. Of what benefit is any of that, though? We don't feel any better. We certainly don't DO any better. Rather, we can become like Adham... and blame others, including JAH. Or like Cain, where we become SO angry because we don't measure up as perhaps another does... and actually kill the other. Or like King Saul, who became so jealous that he sought to kill an anointed of JAH. Or what of Jonah, who said he would go, but didn't, then didn't want to go, but was made to, then became angry because what he THROUGH would/should happen to the people of Nineveh didn't... and so had greater love for a gourd tree than for the people of that city? What benefit to these? None. Nor to the people close to them.
We can be like these... and others who are similar... OR... we can take into consideration what Lazarus wrote in his letter to the Hebrews, which letter contains quite a bit of beneficial information, including this (and I include certain emphasis so that perhaps any who need will get the real gist of what he was meaning):
In YOUR struggle against sin, YOU have not yet resisted to the point of shedding YOUR blood. Yet, have you completely
forgotten this word of
encouragement that addresses you as SONS? It says,
“My son, do not make light of the JaHVeH's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because JaHVeH disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.
Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! Our human fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that what is lame may not be disabled, but rather healed."Imagine, now, our dear Lord having the done the things HE did, as a small child. And THEN saying, "Oh, what's the point? I'm not perfect YET, and I might never be - so why should I even bother?? I mean, am I REALLY the Son of GOD??"
Had he done that, who, then, would have given his life for US? WHO... would have been LEFT? But he KNEW who he was, in SPITE of what he still had to go through... including being DISCIPLINED. TRAINED. So as to LEARN obedience. Praise JAH, he apparently learned... FAST. Because we know that, at LEAST by the age of 12, he was on the right track! He learned even sooner than that, though, because of Isaiah's words:
"He will be eating curds and honey when/by the time he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right..."Curds and honey are soft, sweet foods, less than what an older child can eat but more than what a nursing babe can eat.
We, though, can get so caught up in our own personal feelings, worrying about ourselves, looking at our own faces... so that when we DO fail
and are disciplined for it... we get angry. Angry at ourselves, really... but WHO do we take it OUT on? Who do we BLAME? Often, we take it out on and blame those we love. Including JAH and Christ. And we let that anger fester... so that we come to HATE those we (once) loved. Including JAH and Christ. Remember Cain? Remember King Saul? Perhaps we go so far as to even question who we are. Or even further... whether JAH or Christ even exist!
We can AVOID this course, though,
by listening! And NOT after we've erred, but BEFORE doing so. Listening... to someone who went AHEAD of us and UNDERWENT the "tests"... BEFORE us. And
learned, so that he KNOWS. KNOWS what it
feels like to err -
Psalm 22:6; 38:4; 40:12And what did he learn... and now passes on to us? Well, for one... there's something to say for pride... and for humility. And one thing we can listen him say is the truth that pride... goes before... a fall. Eye-ee... when we fall, it's usually because of our pride. And vice versa, when pride rules... we will almost assuredly fall. Pride, haughtiness, self-assumingness, thinking more of ourselves than is NECESSARY to think... all of these can lead to a fall. A humiliation. JAH does not WANT that for us, though, and so sent His Son to go through all of that FOR us. So that, in looking at and listening to HIM, we can AVOID all of that. I remember telling my children something when they were small. I overhead my daughter and a friend talking about one "learning from their mistakes." Which is quite true and wise; one SHOULD learn from one's mistakes. BUT... there is a BETTER way, one that is two-fold... and that is, first, to LISTEN to the One sent to lead us. The second, is to learn from OTHER'S mistakes - watch what OTHERS do... consider the outcome of what OTHERS have done.
Adham erred. Cain erred. King Saul erred. Jonah. And how did each of these handle their errors when such were revealed to them? Then we have David. He also erred and greatly so. How, though, did HE handle HIS error when it was revealed to him? Now, looking at all of these, which do YOU think our dear Lord would declare as "righteous, although having sinned? Peter erred repeatedly and once in a manner most of US would say we would NEVER do. Now imagine if David and Peter and went off, kicking rocks so to speak, and saying, "Well, what's the point? Why should I even bother, even continue?"
He also said something about humility, though: that if we don't humble ourselves, we will be humbled. By God. Hence, we can humble ourselves... and listen... and so AVOID discipline (or at least, a lot of it), if we don't want to undergo it... or we can ignore and find ourselves humbled by JAH. Which is done through discipline. Praise Him, though, that such discipline is only because He LOVES us... as His SONS... and so wants us to LEARN righteousness. And through it, yield peaceable fruit.
Blessings from JAH. THAT is what makes (us) rich... and He adds NO pain with it. Discipline is grievous, true, but it does not have to be painful. A willing soldier
understands the DIFFICULTY of rising at 3am and the PURPOSE of walking through mud and rain at that early hour: that doing so may one day BENEFIT him, even save his life. And so HE gets up readily, even if sleepily, prepares his pack, puts on his boots... and heads out... looking FORWARD to the journey and ready to give it his all and best. Because anything less could cost him his life. Or... that of his companions. And if he's SMART... he (already) knows that he doesn't know everything, that he is there to LEARN how to survive.
A reluctant soldier, however, or one that believes he knows already how to survive... although having never fought at all, let alone in a thick jungle, will feel that rising at 3am to walk through mud and rain is grievous. Who needs to do THAT?? Let's just go out and get 'em, shoot 'em up.
I know what we need to do! And so he will whine and moan and complain, even hate the task. He will not APPRECIATE that the training might one day save his life because he doesn't even see that he NEEDS training. And so, he ridicules the journey... until he finds himself face to face with the enemy... and wishing THEN that he had paid attention. But... too late. Usually.
Time is passing us by, dear one, whether as to the Master's return... or the span of our own physical lives. We simply don't have the time to WASTE on regret. We only need be like David: repent, mourn a bit... then get back up and get back to work. We just don't have time for anything else.
Anyway, you know why I'm sharing all of this, dear brother: love. What else is there? I hope it helps, though, truly. Whomever may need it to.
As always, the greatest of love and peace to you and to your dear household!
YSSFS of Christ,
Shel
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