A twenty-first century poet wrote, “Look, if you had one shot or one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted in one moment, would you capture it or just let it slip?”
Regret is not a fun feeling. Many regret past actions, and sinful behaviors should cause a type of regret that leads to repentance and reconciliation with God. With God’s grace and mercy covering our sins, we can move beyond regret to serve Him faithfully, learning from our mistakes and helping others to avoid the same.
There is another type of regret, however, that is more difficult to move beyond: the regret of not doing something. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss.” We can allow our missed opportunities to paralyze us, weighing us down with regret, or we can use them as motivation to act the next time God gives us an opportunity.
The greatest thing you can do for anyone is to teach them about Christ and the salvation He offers. Have you ever missed an opportunity to tell someone about the power of His blood? I have, and I regret it. But I cannot allow that regret to prevent me from grabbing the next chance I have to lead someone to the truth.
The apostle Paul wrote, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10). The famous Chinese-American architect I. M. Pei advised, “Stop worrying about missed opportunities and start looking for new ones.” Where will you start looking? Who will you share the gospel with this week?