Proverbs 14:23
In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.
No Regrets
I have many regrets, especially if I look back about 10 years ago or more. I could have done many things differently. I cannot change what has passed but only what lies ahead. Was there something 10 or more years ago that you wished you would have started? Maybe it’ll make you think about today and what’ll be happening in your life 10 years from today. You can talk about things you’d like to do, but talk is one thing; doing is another. For example, there were so many people in my life 10 years ago who are not here today. I had lost a cousin to a tragic accident. I never shared my faith with him. Now he’s gone, and my chance to talk with him is gone. Today I am bolder in witnessing for Christ than at any time in my life, but if I had made a determination in my life to do what D. L. Moody said he would do, which is s to witness to at least one person a day for the rest of his life, maybe my cousin would have heard about how Christ came to die for sinners because a truthful witness can make all the difference (Prov. 14:25). He never was saved, so far as I know.
The Missed Ministry
I waited for a long time until I finally just walked into the local nursing home a few years ago to start a ministry. I had thought about it for a long time. What a waste of years that I could have been making a difference in the lives of so many residents there. Today I think that in 10 years I will know a lot more residents, their family members, and the staff than I do today. If I am not intentional about doing something or starting something today, then 10 years from now, I might regret not taking that first step. James, the half-brother of Christ, defined pure religion as visiting the orphans and the widows in their affliction (James 1:27). How many do you think are orphans and widows in a nursing home? Almost every single one of them. So think what you’ll be doing 10 years from today, and plan it today to get started.
The Rest of Your Life Starts Today
Don’t live with regret. I’ve gotten over mine because I have started to do things in my life that I’ve never done before. Have you ever heard the saying “today is the first day of the rest of your life”? Paul exhorts us to make the most of every opportunity in this life that we have (Eph. 5:16), make the best use of our time (Col. 4:5), and live our life so that we might win the respect of those who are not believers today (1 Thess. 4:12). We must work and plan for tomorrow while it is still today because a time will arrive when the night will come and we can work no longer (John 9:4). Think about 10 years from now. What would you want to be doing then? Will you have regrets for not starting what you had always wanted to start? You might, unless the Lord comes before then.
A Closing Prayer
God my Father, I have learned to let go of my regrets and press ahead, to not look back, to make plans as if Christ may not come for another 10 years, and to do whatever I can while I can for Your kingdom and glory. For the glory of Jesus Christ’s name I pray.
Amen
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