Podcast Episode 12 – Regretfulness or Thankfulness?

This week’s episode builds on Monday’s article on a related topic, “Thankful Trust.” Here is the transcript of the podcast:

Have you ever struggled with uncertainty and regret? I have, and on today’s episode, that’s the question we are going to explore.  What we are really going to be talking about is a mindset.  Specifically, your mindset when you face an unknown future and wish you knew tomorrow’s answers today, or when you reflect on your past experiences and wish that things could have been different.  In these circumstances, the real question is whether or not you can and should respond with gratitude instead of uncertainty or regret.

Let me tell you the story of the last year of my life (if you want to hear the story, you’ll have to listen to the podcast!). 

My future is unknown to me.  But not to God.  However, because my future is unknown to me, my present fear causes me to sometimes second-guess my past. When I do that, I am just like the Israelites after they were freed from bondage in Egypt, the first time they ran into difficulties and a food shortage.  Almost immediately, they started regretting their choice to leave Egypt and started crying for what they used to have.  In the same way, when I am being led by fear, I can start to question or even regret my choices.  But if I am being obedient to God and following His clear direction, I need to trust Him with an attitude of gratefulness for his purpose and provision – even when I can’t see it yet.

That’s where today’s question takes us.  What is our mindset, and on what is our mindset based?  When we are being faithful and obedient to God, He will not fail.  His plan cannot be prevented.  And He sees the future and knows where He wants me to be tomorrow and why.  Furthermore, there are times (and for me, this is one of those times) He doesn’t want me to see beyond tomorrow.  Again, this was modeled by the Israelites when God’s response to their fear was to promise them their daily food in the form of manna, but only for what they needed that day, and no more. For me personally, at this specific juncture in my life, but for a purpose that He knows, God is choosing to give me my manna on a daily basis, and I have to trust Him that it will be there the day after that, and the day after that.  But I also have to do it with an attitude of thankfulness that should arise from my confidence and trust in His goodness and purpose for me.

So, here’s what you need to take away: If you are being faithful and obedient to God, then you need to:

• Place your uncertainty about the future in God’s hands, because He has a certain purpose.

• View your past difficulties and current struggle with thankfulness, knowing that it is factored into the purpose God has for your future.

I am reminded, finally, of something my dad once said related to the topic of regret.  He was pondering the challenges that we experience in our lives, that cause us to sometimes question things, and he said, “You will never regret living for God”

I believe that is true with all my heart, therefore I am choosing in the present to walk in thankful trust of God, in view of both future uncertainties and past circumstances. And so, I am thankful that He has me in the position I am today, living completely in dependence on Him and trusting the purpose, plan, and timing of what He has next for me.  My friend, what about you?  As you face your past, your present, and your future, are you choosing to live in thankful trust?