SHOULD HAVE, WOULD HAVE, COULD HAVE
Stuck. Today our power is out at home. An unexpected inconvenience that has messed up my plans for the afternoon. I don’t know when it will come back on… or if I’ll be able to get the laundry done and cook dinner tonight. Should I go to plan B? Truthfully, this annoyance puts me in a bit of a funk. I know I should shift gears and make the best of the circumstances, but sometimes I don’t do that well.
Even in the bigger picture of life, there have been times when I’ve found myself stuck. I’ve felt regret, or even despair, at some of my decisions. Whether from ignorance, bad advice, or people-pleasing, some of my choices led me down a path that was not full of hope and excitement. Not only that, but I wasn’t always seeking God or loving others well.
Bad choices from our past, at times influenced by peers and immaturity, chart a course filled with potholes. Even choices that once may have seemed reasonable, not necessarily bad or harmful, can prove to be a dead end. What’s next? Do we continue in an unhealthy spiral of worse decisions that might prove disastrous for our own well-being and for those we love?
Pastor Harry reminded us on Sunday that fear and pride should not keep us from changing. Our “should have/would have/could haves” don’t rule our lives. It might be time to kneel in a posture of humility rather than standing in arrogance and stubbornness. “By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom” (Prov. 13:10).
The book of Proverbs tells us that wisdom considers the end game. When making choices ask yourself, “What effect will this relationship, career, substance, purchase, or habit have on my life ten years down the road?” Don’t just do what feels right today.
As for those bad decisions from the past… it’s not too late to do the right thing and walk away from evil. Humbly confess your pride and arrogance to the Lord and to those who may have been affected by your actions. Ask for help from people who may have a broader, wiser perspective on the matter. God is our Redeemer, and He deepens our wisdom as we humble ourselves before Him.