Time...

Time...

by David Brenneman 

Regret is what is probably the most prevalent emotion that pours out of Hell by those who go there.  

It's been said that upon dying, everyone's theology is corrected. 

We are encouraged, by way of song and poetry, to live for the moment or to believe that time is on our side.  

We read in the Scriptures "But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.  For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it, either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge people into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." 1 Timothy 6:6-10 NASB 

We pursue so much in life.  

We try so hard to get what the world teaches us that we have earned or deserve. 

We strive to do this or that in order to gain what we think will bring peace and rest to out lives...and then come to the conclusion albeit briefly that it doesn't last.

Time isn't on our side.  Time is relentlessly moving forward in this physical world. 

Time can appear to stretch on forever or we blink and it's gone. 

We are given only a certain amount of time to live life as God has written in the books for us.  Scripture tells us that He knows, intimately, every second of our lives before we were even born. 

What we do with those moments is important!  What we decide about God is important!  

I would rather have my theology corrected by God in this life rather than to die and have no recourse, no way to alter it, to where I might benefit. 

In Hell, weeping and gnashing of teeth is a constant thing.  Regret is heaviest among those who are the most ready to acknowledge God's sovereignty.  In what we read in Luke 16:19-31 NASB, we see regret: “Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, enjoying himself in splendor every day. And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores,  and longing to be fed from the scraps which fell from the rich man’s table; not only that, the dogs also were coming and licking his sores.  Now it happened that the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s arms; and the rich man also died and was buried. And in Hades he raised his eyes, being in torment, and *saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his arms. And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus, so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set, so that those who want to go over from here to you will not be able, nor will any people cross over from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I request of you, father, that you send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not come to this place of torment as well.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

When you get real about your life...

When you really think about those things you have pursued...

When you look at what you have accumulated...

When you look at what you have accomplished...

Is regret there among your thoughts?

We have this hope in Christ Jesus for a better life. We have this hope by faith in the Son of God who loved us, gave Himself for us.  We have such opportunity to live a regret free life in Christ Jesus!  But do we realize it?  Do we find contentment in it?  Do we squander those precious moments that we are given and cannot take back?

We waste those moments on regret, on guilt, on shame.  Satan's minions and sometimes himself, hit us daily to remind us of things that aren't true about God and us.  Attempting to make us believe lies about our identity.  

We need to be connected to a growing body of Believers in Christ Jesus to avert thoughts and feelings that drain us. That take away our effectiveness in Christ Jesus.  Regret doesn't need to be the definition of our lives. Peace and contentment is possible in a right relationship with Jesus Christ.  Being happy by what makes Jesus happy is one key way. Being about the Father’s business as Jesus was brought happiness to Jesus.  

Look at your life.  Are you trying to fill it with poor substitutes for contentment?  Are you so immersed in regret that you can't see?  My Dear Friend, God has so much more in store for you than that!

Hope is only truly found in Christ Jesus. 

Hope is never to be seen in Hell.  

All hope is lost for those who enter into Hell...and there's nobody there that wants to be there. 

Salvation in Christ Jesus is where true love, peace and contentment can be found in this life.  We are saved by faith and not of works that we can do.  We could have eternity and never do enough to cover 1 single sin.  What man couldn't do Jesus did. Salvation is free for all who would receive it by simply asking. 

Come to Christ today and find the cure for regret. Maybe return to Christ today and ask Him to forgive you and restore your relationship with Him.  Let today be the day that the chains of regret are broken.