Every human being, as long as they are born and live on this earth, carries within them some level of regret.
Some people have very deep regrets; others have lighter ones.
Regret is the sorrow or grief that comes as a result of choices or decisions made in life.
For example, a young person may choose to drop out of school and go to the streets to sell sweets. That is their decision. But later, when they realize they are not seeing meaningful results—and instead see their peers who continued with education making great progress—they begin to feel inner sorrow and self-blame. That feeling is regret.
Another person chooses to live with someone without marriage, eventually has many children, and is later abandoned. As time goes on and age advances, they desire marriage, but it becomes difficult. Regret sets in.
Another wasted many years serving Satan. Now in old age, they grieve deeply, asking themselves where they were during the years of their strength and youth when they should have been serving God.
Regrets are many and varied. Every person, in one way or another, carries some form of regret—no matter where you live or how successful you appear. Somewhere along the journey, a mistake was made.
At its core, regret is not sin. It is a God-given human condition—part of how humanity was created.
However, it is very important to understand how to handle regret properly, because when regret is not rightly placed, it can cause great damage in a person’s life.
In Scripture, we see two people who were deeply grieved by the decisions they made: Peter and Judas.
Judas felt sorrow, but his sorrow led him to hang himself.
Peter felt sorrow, but his sorrow led him to cry out to God for help, which resulted in transformation.
Peter allowed his regret to be carried by God.Judas allowed his regret to be carried by Satan.
Yet the regret itself was similar. Judas was not wrong to feel remorse—he even returned the money. But the destination of his sorrow was wrong.
The Bible explains this clearly:
2 Corinthians 7:10 (NKJV)“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.”
Paul expands further:
2 Corinthians 7:9–11Godly sorrow leads to repentance, spiritual zeal, a desire for righteousness, and restoration—while worldly sorrow destroys.
👉 Godly regret produces repentance and life.👉 Satanic or worldly regret produces despair and death.
When you begin to think:
“I can never rise again”
“God has abandoned me”
“I am useless”
“I don’t deserve forgiveness”
“There is no hope for me”
Know this: Satan is behind that kind of regret.
His goal is to:
Make you isolate yourself
Stop praying
Stop attending church
Stop seeking God
Quit spiritual guidance
Sink into depression—or even destroy yourself
John 10:10“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…”
On the other hand, when you fail, see it as a lesson—a season God allowed so you could learn, grow, and be given another chance. Do not waste that second opportunity.
Many people you see today who are spiritually cold, discouraged, withdrawn, or stagnant—yet once were strong—are carrying unresolved, destructive regret deep inside.
When David fell into the sin of adultery, he returned sincerely to the Lord. Though the consequences were severe, he did not hide from God like Adam did.
Psalm 51:17“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise.”
Godly regret turns our eyes back to God.
Look again to your God. Then take the next step forward. That step often carries greater power and faster results than your first beginning.
After his failure, Peter became bold, courageous, and powerful in witnessing Christ—more than all the other apostles.
Acts 4:13“When they saw the boldness of Peter…”
If you have failed in any area, rise again with strength. Do not collapse like Judas or King Saul, who both ended their lives.
Proverbs 24:16“For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again.”
May the Lord bless you.
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