Is Life ‘Without Regrets’ The Way To Live?

I hear too many people saying, ‘I live my life without regrets.’ When we say that, what are we saying? What are we telling the people we care for? What are we telling people we interact with on a daily basis? What are we telling ourselves?

To regret is to feel sad or disappointed about something you did to another. It centers on loss, or missed opportunities, you caused to another person. To live life without regrets means you live your life centered on you, and that you have no feelings when it comes to how you treat others. To be honest with you, when I hear people say that they live life without regrets all I can see is a narcissist, someone who cares only about themselves, and blames others for all their life issues. Someone who records the wrongs others have done to them, but refuse to see the wrongs they have done to others. The sad part for me, is that many Christian Leaders, as of late, seem to be living their lives ‘without regrets.’

This crazy idea of forgiveness, seeking both to forgive and be forgiven, is central to the teachings of Jesus. Too many people believe that the only thing they need to do to truly receive forgiveness is simply ask God, and all is cool. To me, that’s cheap grace, cheap forgiveness. You see, Jesus asks us to go that extra step, yes that ‘extra mile,’ – to actually seek forgiveness from those we have hurt, and to truly forgive those who have harmed us; because without doing so, forgiveness is impossible.[1]

The fact that we need to live life where we seek forgiveness, to live life with regrets, for the harm we have done to others is very important to our walk with the Divine. In Matthew’s recording of the Collective Narrative, Jesus shares these words with us, “This is how I want you to conduct yourself in these matters. If you enter your place of worship and, about to make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you, abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then, come back and work things out with God.”[2]

When we live life without regrets we live life disconnected for the Divine and we do harm to others and ourselves. When we live life without regrets we live life without knowing the joy of being forgiven.

[1] Matthew 6:14-15 [MSG]

[2] Matthew 5:23-24 [MSG]