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Everything Changes

The more messed up this world gets, the more God makes sense.

Christian Kegger

Saturday, August 25, 2012
Some Christian friends of mine posted a "Kegger" event on Facebook this week.  

 The details read:
"Hey all, so you know that time that we... drank way tooo much? NO? Great... get really to experience that memory loss again. (We) want to get super drunk and make bad decisions with all of you again."

I don't understand why alcohol is cool. I have never seen alcohol result in something good. It only seems to kill, steal and destroy people's lives. Is that what makes it fun? 

 I'll tell you this, it was no fun going to my friend's funeral who was killed by a 16-year-old drunk driver. Oh yeah, he killed her parents too. Alcohol is awesome! (Confused.)

 I just don't get it. Alcohol impairs your judgement, masks your pain (temporarily, of course) and becomes a stronghold that is nearly impossible to break free from. Is that the attraction? The ability to escape reality, hurt others without remembering that you hurt them and die of liver disease?

 Still looking for answers. Maybe if I find them I, too, will grab a drink and join the party. After all, I'm starting to feel left out at church functions where alcohol is present. ;-)

I Regret Nothing

Sunday, August 12, 2012
"The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and His heart was deeply troubled." [Genesis 6:6]

 It is hard to imagine that God experienced regret. Because for me, regret is an old friend that keeps coming around - and I hate it. 
"If only..." this and that. "Why did I allow..." this and that. "If I could go back..." I would do this and that differently.

 Wikipedia says...

 "Regret is a negative conscious and emotional reaction to personal past acts and behaviors."

 The dictionary says that regret is a feeling of sorrow or remorse for a fault, act, loss, disappointment, etc. 

 When God "regretted" His heart was deeply troubled - the Amplified version says that God was grieved at heart.

 Regret is a powerful and often debilitating emotion.  Sometimes we are encouraged by people to have no regrets, but I believe regret is unavoidable.  It's how we respond when we experience regret that is important.

 I love what Jane Adams says about regret:
Regret, which is guilt without the neurosis, enables us ... to move forward instead of back.

 I think I know what Jane means.  And 2 Corinthians 7:8-13 helps me understand the difference between worldly "guilt-ridden" regret vs. Godly sorrow:
Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while—yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. So even though I wrote to you, it was neither on account of the one who did the wrong nor on account of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are. By all this we are encouraged.

Yes, I will continue to have regrets, but I will reply on the Holy Sprit to help me press through the guilt and damaging emotions so I can move forward towards the goodness God has planned for my life.