As I write this article we are a few days from Christmas and moving quickly to a New Year. I have a sense of excitement in my own spirit as we head into the New Year. Some of you may have very legitimate things weighing on you. Some things are inevitably going to cause us to be burdened and in this article I am not addressing these. However, there are some burdens that we can release and two of these are regrets and offenses which can lead to unforgiveness. Prolonged regrets lead to unforgiveness because you cannot forgive yourself, and offenses lead to unforgiveness because you cannot forgive the other person.
Life has enough legitimate challenges without us taking on regrets and offenses. As we head into the New Year think of these words from Paul found in Phil 3:13-15, “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things.” Let me encourage you as we head into this New Year release and regrets and offenses.
One church I know every year in December rents a dumpster and puts it outside the church. Then they go through each room in the church and throw out any unnecessary items so as to start the New Year with as little clutter as possible. Life has enough challenges without us holding on to things that we need to release to the Lord. Lets all get rid of our “clutter.” Scripture tells us “everything that does not come from faith is sin.” Offenses and prolonged regrets are not of faith. As we read in Heb 12:1-3, “let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Have a great New Year free of prolonged regret and offenses.
Pastor Phil
