Tag Archives: regret

You Are Responsible for the Life You Want to Look Back On

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Do you ever stop and notice how fast life is passing you by? I do. It seems like just yesterday we had four little ones under six. In the blink of an eye, we have two teenagers and two tweens. Life just keeps moving on, whether we want it to or not.

You Are Responsible

I read this quote recently in Grace Not Perfection by Emily Ley, and it has since become one of my favorites:

You are responsible for the way you’ll look back on your life when you’re eighty years old. You’re in control of the way you’ll feel that day in your rocking chair on your front porch.

from Grace Not Perfection by Emily Ley

A Life Well-Lived

I love this quote for what it represents. It represents a life well-lived. It’s the idea of a person sitting in a rocking chair on their front porch and reflecting back on life. The simple fact of the matter is that all of us are headed towards that. There’s going to be a chance one day to sit and reflect, to look back on our lives. Will we look back with regret or in gratitude for the life we lived?

All of us want to look back on our lives with gratitude and not regret, but how do we do that now? What do we need to do to be sure that happens? The answer could be so many things–spend time with the ones we love, work hard, start each morning with God, serve others, fulfill God’s purpose for your life…and on and on the list could go. Or we could boil it down to one thing:

Take responsibility for that future today.

If we lived today (and every day after that) with that truth in mind, we will live on purpose. We will spend time doing all those things mentioned above–spending time with the ones we love, finding God’s purpose for our lives, starting each morning with God, and more.

Life is Short

Life is short. David reminds us of that over and over again.

“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
    Remind me that my days are numbered—
    how fleeting my life is.
 You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
    My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
    at best, each of us is but a breath.” 

Psalm 39:4, 5 NLT

Before we know it, life will be passed. We will be the one sitting in the rocking chair on the front porch. Will we look back on our life with regret? Or will we reflect on the amazing life God gave us and know that we made the very best of the time we were given? You are responsible for the answer to that question.

For More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my post, Don’t Live with Regret or snag Emily’s book, Grace Not Perfection. It’s currently sixty percent off on Amazon!

You Can Avoid Making Foolish Decisions

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Making Foolish Decisions

I was talking with somebody recently who made a really foolish decision, one they can’t come back from. It’s permanent, and nothing they can do will change it. Matt and I spent a lot of time thinking through the situation. Why? Why did they come to this decision? What motivated them to do it?

This isn’t the first time we’ve dealt with a situation like this, and it won’t be the last. We spend a lot of time wondering what we could have done differently or said differently. Most often, it comes back to the fact that a person simply didn’t use wisdom to make the decision. They made a rush decision; they didn’t think through the consequences. Maybe they didn’t see the full picture. Whatever the case may be, they made a poor decision.

Paul’s Prayer for His Followers

Paul hits this issue head-on in Colossians. He writes a letter to the church in Colossae and tells them that he prays for them without stopping. Why? Because he had the same issues back then that we do today. We all have a tendency to make foolish decisions.

Paul prayed for the believers; he tells them that he prays for God to give them knowledge of his will and wisdom and understanding. In return, their lives will produce fruit.

I broke it down into a graphic.

Asking God for Wisdom

If we want our lives to honor God, we have to have his wisdom. There’s no way around it. We can and will really make a mess of our lives if we don’t get ahold of this principle: We need wisdom, the wisdom that is from God.

So how do we get it? How do we get God’s wisdom? We find the answer in the book of James.

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

James 1:5 NLT

We have to ask for it. The only way to avoid making foolish decisions, mistakes that we can’t come back from, is to ask God for wisdom. Continually spend time seeking him and his plan for our lives.

If we have wisdom from God and continue to seek Him and become more like him, then our lives will produce good fruit. We won’t bear the consequences and scars of a life lived foolishly.

More Encouragement

If you find yourself in a place where you have made a foolish decision, don’t give up hope. We’ve all been there; we’ve all made foolish decisions. That’s why we need God. Here’s a video from my husband to check out that will give you hope and encouragement. How to Reset Your Regrets and Start Over.