Maneuvers - No. 21
I Heal
Your Regrets
Regret is one of the most powerful emotions. Its strong sway can influence and hurt us, even break us if we let it.
We all have done and said things we wish we could take back. That’s just part of being human.
What regrets still weigh on your conscience, dear friend? What shame still lingers in your heart and resurfaces every now and then in your memories?
Did you know those memories can be healed? We don’t have to live under the weight of that shame anymore. Our greatest regret is no match for the overwhelming power of God’s love.
It’s one thing to know that. It’s another to feel it and believe it.
Some of us have known the Lord for many years, and still those regrets linger in the corner of our minds. Never leaving. Always ready to sting our hearts at a moment’s recollection.
If you’re ready to see those regrets gone for good, ready to see them healed and redeemed once and for all, then we invite you to join us in reading Holy Spirit’s message today.
His voice has the power to heal our hearts. And his love has the power to free us from the habits and bondages that caused those regrets in the first place. But that healing, that freedom—it starts with listening.
01.
The Message
“It isn’t easy to discover something about yourself that you didn’t realize before—something you regret, something you wish you could change and you can’t. Alone, by yourself, you are capable of hurting people more deeply than you ever dreamed.
“It is my love that makes it possible for you to be kind.
“My love for you and in you and around you restores what is broken. It rescues you from the depths of pain. It is possible to heal what seems unhealable. It is possible to fix the deepest hurts. I know you don’t know how to do this—and you aren’t supposed to. I made you, and you are meant to be connected to me.
“What is confusing is when you think you are connected to me and maybe you’re not. Not really. For why otherwise, in this world, you wonder, would there be so much pain?
“But I am with you. And I am for you. It is a difficult decision, the most difficult of your life, to choose love over everything else. What makes it difficult is that you have to do it again and again and again. There is not just one time of choosing it. You choose to love me—or not—partner with me—or not—and you make that choice every day, every moment, again and again.
“It takes practice to love well. It takes self-awareness. It takes surrender. It takes courage. It takes adopting a new way of thinking and perceiving. Give me each relationship, one by one. Then grab my hand. Let me direct you, let me fill you—with wisdom and hope. Do not be discouraged. Nothing is too much, too awful, too long gone, to be healed by me.”
02.
Listen
Close your eyes for a moment and breathe deeply. Search your heart and ask yourself how you’re feeling. What emotions, sorrows, and desires did Holy Spirit’s words stir within you? Take a moment to journal what you find in your heart.
03.
Think
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1, ESV).
1. What regrets weigh on your heart? We may have many, but usually there are a handful that hurt us the most. Let’s write those down.
2. What regrets do you seem to have again and again in your relationships? What patterns are you noticing?
3. What lies or old ways of thinking are hiding underneath those feelings of shame? What is Holy Spirit speaking to you about those lies? Let’s write down what he says to us.
04.
Trust
Few people can understand regret like Judas Iscariot. His greedy heart led him to betray his own Savior—the Son of God himself—for 30 pieces of silver.
Can you imagine the emotions he felt after soldiers dragged Jesus away in chains from the Garden of Gethsemane? Scripture tells us he was so overcome with shame that he, sadly, killed himself.
Judas can feel so “other” to us, can’t he? How could he be so evil as to betray Jesus? But the truth is, we all have been like Judas. And like him, we’ve all done things we deeply regret.
But our story doesn’t have to end like his did. Our story—your story—isn’t one of despair. Our story is life, healing, peace, and victory.
First, though, we have to uncover the lies that are fueling our shame.
In your journal, complete the sentences below. Let’s try not to write the “right answers” but instead what is truly in our hearts. (Leave some room underneath each finished sentence for the next part of this exercise.)
“I’m too broken to…”
“I’ll never be able to fix…”
“I will never heal from…”
How did you finish these sentences, friend? Did they reveal any lies you may be believing about yourself, your past, and God?
Let’s take five minutes to do nothing but listen to Holy Spirit. Pull out your Bible, put on soft worship music, set a timer on your phone for five minutes—do whatever you have to do to focus on the Lord in this time of stillness.
Now, underneath each of the sentences you wrote, write down what Holy Spirit is saying in response. Is he bringing a healing memory to your mind? A Scripture passage? A personal word?
Let’s write down what he says and how he wants to heal us. And now, let’s respond…
05.
Pray
Jesus, thank you for your healing. It’s so sweet, so tender, so wholesome. Just being here in your presence, it heals me. I feel lighter already, knowing how completely you love me.
These regrets I’ve brought to you today, will you help me heal from them? Will you walk me through each one and redeem those mistakes?
Teach me how to partner with you every day. In every little thing I do, take my hand and show me how to love like you. Help me see this world around me, every living thing, through your eyes. Overwhelm my heart by letting me feel the love you feel for them.
I surrender to you, Jesus. The lies I believe, my goals and ambitions, my stubbornness in how I want to do things—I surrender it all. I love you, and all I want is to go deeper in relationship with you. Take my hand, guide each step, and show me the way.
In your name I pray, amen.
Waving the banner with you,
