I don't think about regrets. If anyone asks me if I have any, my answer is almost inevitably, "no." I don't have time for regrets because regrets involve things that happened in the past and I have two very strong philosophies about the past: 1. It's over and done with. There's nothing I can do about it, now, so why worry too much about what's in the past? 2. The man I am today is the sum total of all the things I've been through and experienced in my life, and I love the man I am today, so if I were to change anything about the past, that would change the man I am today, and I'm not sure if I'd like that man, much at all.
Now, all that being said, I read an article by a famous singer that I happen to know, though I don't know him well. The last lines of the article were a quote from this singer where he talked about the many lives and careers that have been sacrificed on the altar of fear. Up until that very moment I would have told you that I haven't let fear rule my life since 10 March 1985. May have even been a few years earlier than that when I finally stood up and walked out of the abusive relationship I had lived in my entire life to that point. But either way, I had long been convinced that I had never sacrificed anything on the altar of fear, but reading that article made me realize that I have sacrificed a lot on that altar. Fear is a tricky thing. It can be omnipresent and overbearing, but it can also be subtle and sneaky. Fear can even convince you that it is not even present when it's guiding every decision and move that you make. But, at it's core, fear is a liar. Everything you sacrifice on the altar of fear is something that even if your fear were to come true, you would most likely not lose the thing you're allowing fear to force you to give up. See, fear knows that the only way to get you to not do that thing is to convince you that something will happen to make you lose it once you go after it. Fear cripples you into staying in one spot when you really need to be moving to be in that place you should be in when that thing will fall right into your lap. Fear makes you turn right instead of left or makes you go north when you should go south.
I did not let fear trick me out of my life, though to be sure there were several times I almost sacrificed my physical life to fear. But, fear did convince me to sacrifice different lives I could have had which I have no way of ever regaining because those family members are no longer living or those opportunities will never come my way again. When I think of the possibilities that could have been there for me had I not let fear motivate me, I can only imagine how much different my life would be today. But, to sit around and dwell on the "what ifs" is one of the most wasteful things we can do with our time and energy. The "coulda shoulda wouldas" can also drive you into the deepest darkest pits of despair known to mankind. And that despair is inhabited by fear.
But, the "what-ifs" and the "coulda shoulda wouldas" involve regret, and as I've stated, I don't have time for regret.
In so many instances the very first words God speaks to men, in the Bible, are the words: "Fear not!" Fear is the enemy of faith; the slayer of dreams; the cancer of goals and the destructor of families. But fear is also a weakling. Fear never allows anyone to see it in full focus because it would have no power over anyone if they knew how puny, small and weak it really is. Fear uses tricks, smoke and mirrors and whispers to conquer its victims. And I know the One Word that fear hates the most: JESUS! The next time you hear the voice of fear, just utter that name and fear will flee like a grasshopper from a forest fire. Don't get me wrong, now, fear is not a quitter! It will come back time and time again trying to find some little chink in your armor that it can squeeze through, but you have to maintain diligence and be steadfast in your faith so that when fear tries, you call out the name of Jesus and send fear headed for the hills trying to find a rock it can slither back under.
I'm so thankful that God provided me with such amazing spiritual armor to put on every day but I am most grateful that He gave me the single, most-powerful weapon I will ever need to fight my daily battles: JESUS!
