Have you ever struggled with regret? I know I have. There are things in my past I wish I could undo—words I shouldn’t have said, choices I shouldn’t have made, opportunities I let slip away. Regret can be a heavy burden, one that weighs us down and keeps us from moving forward.
Philippians 3:13-14
“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Many people misunderstand this verse in Philippians. They think it’s telling us to erase the past from our memory, but that’s not what it means. We can’t just forget our past—it’s part of us. Our minds hold onto memories, both good and bad.
But the Greek word for “forget” here—epilanthanomai—means to neglect, overlook, or let go of. That’s what God is calling us to do. We don’t have to erase our past, but we do have to stop letting it control us. If we don’t let go of regret, it becomes a weight we were never meant to carry.
Regret is something we all experience. Maybe you regret something you did years ago. Maybe you regret the way a relationship ended. Maybe you regret not taking a chance when you had it. Regret itself isn’t necessarily bad—God gave us the ability to feel it for a reason. A healthy amount of regret helps us grow. It teaches us lessons. But there’s a difference between healthy regret and destructive regret. Healthy regret helps you learn and become better. Unhealthy regret traps you in guilt and shame, keeping you from moving forward by placing a heavy burden on you.
I’ve met many believers over the years who are stuck in the past. Maybe you have too. They dwell on old wounds, past failures, or how others have wronged them. Some even start seeing themselves as victims, replaying their pain over and over, looking for validation. The problem is, while life moves forward, they stay stuck. They let past hurts shape their present, and eventually, it wrecks their faith, their relationships, and their joy. But that’s not what God wants for us.
Isaiah 43:18-19
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.”
Philippians 3:13-14
“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.”
In other words—LET IT GO!
Regret isn’t just an emotion—it’s a trap if we don’t deal with it properly. It can paralyze our faith, damage our relationships, and create distance between us and God.
Look at Peter’s story in Luke 22:54-62. Peter loved Jesus. He was bold, passionate, and determined to follow Him. But when the pressure was on, he denied Jesus three times. The moment he realized what he had done, he wept bitterly. That’s regret. That’s heartbreak. But here’s the key: Peter didn’t stay in that place. He didn’t let his failure define him. He repented, moved forward, and became a pillar of the early church.
The way we deal with regret comes down to our perspective. The worldly mindset asks, “How can I fix this? How can I make up for my mistakes?” The spiritual mindset asks, “What is God teaching me? How can He use this for His glory?” The world says, “You messed up. You’ll never be enough.” God says, “I have redeemed you. Now walk in My grace.” Worldly regret leads to guilt and shame. Godly regret leads to growth and transformation.
2 Corinthians 7:10
“For godly sorrow produces repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly sorrow produces death.”
This verse shows the difference between the two. Worldly sorrow leads to despair—we see this in the life of Judas Iscariot. Godly sorrow leads to repentance and renewal—we see this in the life of the Apostle Peter. If we dwell on regret too long, it can pull us into discouragement, depression, and spiritual stagnation. But here’s the good news—God’s grace covers our past.
One of the most incredible things about God is that when He forgives, He chooses to forget.
Isaiah 43:25
“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”
If God has let it go, why should we keep holding onto it? Look at the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). He completely messed up his life. He wasted everything, made bad choices, and hit rock bottom. But the moment he decided to come home, what did the father do? He ran to him. He didn’t make his son earn his forgiveness. He didn’t lecture him about his failures. He embraced him and restored him. That’s how God treats us. He’s not waiting for us to fix ourselves—He’s waiting for us to turn back to Him.
1 John 1:9
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Confession isn’t about guilt—it’s about freedom. If anyone had a past to regret, it was Paul. Before he turned to Christ, he hunted down and killed Christians. By human standards, his past should have disqualified him. But God redeemed him through Christ. Paul didn’t let his past define him. He moved forward in God’s calling, and let go of his past.
Here’s what I want you to take away from this: It’s easy to believe that our past mistakes, failures, or regrets shape who we are. Maybe you’ve told yourself, “I’ll always be this way.” Maybe others have labeled you based on your past, making you feel like you can never break free from it. But that’s not how God sees you. He doesn’t look at your failures and call you a failure. He doesn’t see your sin and define you by it. He sees who He created you to be—redeemed, restored, and made new in Him.
Don’t let regret steal your joy. Regret has a way of creeping into our hearts and whispering lies—“You should have done things differently.” “If only you had made a better choice.” “You missed your chance.” But dwelling on the past only drains us of the joy God wants us to experience in the present. The enemy would love nothing more than to keep you trapped in a cycle of guilt, but God’s desire is for you to walk in the joy of His forgiveness and grace. When you hold onto regret, you carry a weight that Jesus already paid for. Let it go. Walk in the joy that comes from knowing you are fully forgiven and deeply loved.
Don’t let past mistakes keep you from walking in the freedom God has for you. Mistakes can make us feel unworthy, ashamed, or hesitant to step into God’s calling. But if we let our failures dictate our future, we’ll never move forward. The truth is, God specializes in redemption. He took Moses, a man who murdered someone, and used him to lead an entire nation to freedom. He took Peter, a man who denied Jesus three times, and made him a foundational leader of the early church. He took Paul, a former Christian killer, and turned him into one of the greatest messengers of the Gospel. If God could do that with them, He can do it with you!
Your mistakes do not disqualify you. Your past does not hold you back—only refusing to move forward does. God’s grace is greater than your regrets. His power is stronger than your past. He is calling you to step into the future He has prepared for you. So lift your head, take a deep breath, and move forward in the freedom of His love.
With hope and encouragement,
