Repentance or Regrets?

And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us. And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required. Genesis 42:21‭-‬22 KJV

There’s a difference between repentance and regrets. Technically, repentance is a change of mind. Its from the Greek word ” metanoia”. At salvation, a repentant person changes his mind because of the conviction of the Holy Spirit. That change of mind leads to a turning from sin. Regret on the other hand is an ” emotional state that involves blaming ourselves for a bad outcome…”. It involves a feeling of sense of loss at the choices we made. Its not difficult to ascertain what these brothers were experiencing. Its regret. You would be surprised at the number of people who have substituted regret for repentance. Hannah England says that the regret that trouble us the most are not the mistakes we made, but the actions we failed to take. This is what was consuming Reuben. Regret in past inaction intensifies with time, making us sick. Repentance purges us from the sickness of regrets. It reconciles us to the love of Christ. If you are yet to experience this reconciliation, today is your day. Don’t waste any more time on regrets. Good morning.