There is a saying that gets bandied about every so often that goes like this: I want to live life with no regrets.
I've never been entirely comfortable with this phrase. I understand the principle behind it, but it seems to imply sometimes that we always know which things we will regret or not regret doing or saying. On some things, yes, it is quite clear. In fact, we often go into something saying, "I'm going to regret this later." But we still do it because we want to or need to. It is often our regrets that make us grow.
But we don't always know that the actions we take now will result in regret later. For example, when I was in college, I decided to major in History and minor in Bible and Religion. I had very sound reasons for doing so at the time, and those reasons still stand today. However, I regret not going a step further. I regret that I didn't consider double majoring. It would have necessitated a fifth year of college, which would have drastically changed the course of my life. I wouldn't have met the people I did, I probably wouldn't have joined OMS when I did, I wouldn't have had the same job.
But do I really regret it? At the time, I felt a pretty clear direction from the Lord, and all of the decisions I made back then led me to where I am now, which I most certainly don't regret.
There's another saying - You can't miss what you don't know. This is also fraught with meaning, and sometimes I agree with it, and other times I don't.
Where am I going with this? I think I've come to the following conclusion: There is really only one way to make sure you live with no regrets, and that is to make Jesus the center of everything. If He is guiding you, you can't make the wrong decision. You really won't miss anything important (as long as you have the correct definition of important), and you truly won't have any regrets. How could you ever regret following Christ's leading?
The truly unfortunate thing is that we very rarely make Christ the center of everything. I certainly don't. I'm terrible at it, in fact. But our actions aren't really the point. Our heart is. God tells us over and over that we should be perfect. Not perfect in action, but perfect in our devotion to him. This may eventually lead us to perfect behavior, but it is our heart that concerns God most. His desire is that we be all that He created us to be - in a word, perfect.
I know this isn't entirely clear, and I'd love to explain it to you further. For the moment, though, I'll leave you with this.
"In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah, 10 and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother’s name was Maakah daughter of Abishalom. Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as his father David had done. He expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his ancestors had made. He even deposed his grandmother Maakah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive image for the worship of Asherah. Asa cut it down and burned it in the Kidron Valley. Although he did not remove the high places, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the LORD all his life. He brought into the temple of the LORD the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated." I Kings 15:9-15
I was just thinking about this today while I was mowing the lawn. If I had to do it all again, I might have gone to a trade school in Hawaii or Maine and learned to be a carpenter.
ReplyDeleteStudying history at HU was valuable. But we live in a world of opportunity costs and trade-offs. It isn't enough to say "it was valuable." You have to look at the unseen and the opportunities lost. When it comes down to it, more than anything else, studying history at HU taught me how to read, write, and think in an organized and critical way. But it was a bloated education and one that was probably overpriced. I feel like I was caught up in the college education wave and made a poor decision by going to HU, even though in many ways it was a good experience.
This isn't intended as a personal slight against anyone. HU is full of wonderful and brilliant professors and students.
You make a good point. There is a difference between valuable and right. Ultimately, I look at my time at HU as a stepping stone to something else. Had I been seeking only to fulfill requirements for future employment, I would have gone elsewhere. For other reasons, though, I needed to be there.
ReplyDeleteWere I to do it over again, however, I would have started with a double major.
Also, I don't think my life would have been as complete without meeting you, Brandon. You are truly unique.
ReplyDeleteThanks much, Jessica.
ReplyDeleteI met many wonderful people at HU, some of whom remain close friends, like the Michelsons and the Taits. Those friendships are important to me.
Looking back, I wish I hadn't wasted so much time with the teaching major. It soured what could have been an amazing experience and in many ways turned something I was passionate about into a painful chore. I regret that. But I'm getting over it by doing hard things and chasing down dreams.