Regret alot of my past

[AIR]

I feel a bit sad because I've done things in the past that I regret alot and I wish that my life would have been different. It's hard to continue life with carrying the past on my shoulders. I regret alot because theres a possibility that I might have committed blashphemy (about the band stuff that i'm not proud anymore) and i haven't been the best student in Christianity so far. What's up?

 

[Spring Waters]

But you can't change what is over with. All the memories can do is change you right now. Let it go. One way I found that worked wonders for me and I share now to help you, is to take it up in active prayer. What I mean by that is this.

Ritualize the prayer of release. Give it up to God. Find a time when it just feels right to let go of things that bother you. Find someplace where you can relax and be alone with your thoughts. With a paper and pencil write down everything that comes to mind that you regret. All those things that burden you now that are long over.

And when you're done burn the paper. See all that weight being cast away in fire and cleansing your life of it so that it is not in the past where it belongs. And your future is in God's hands.

There are a great many Bible verses referring to God's power and the power of Fire. Release your burdens of things that are long over with. Realize that all that you've done is not who you are. They are things you did that helped you to learn how to be you, learning from those things, right this moment. (HUG) Find peace child of God.

 

[AIR]

But you can't change what is over with. All the memories can do is change you right now. Let it go. One way I found that worked wonders for me and I share now to help you, is to take it up in active prayer. What I mean by that is this.

Ritualize the prayer of release. Give it up to God. Find a time when it just feels right to let go of things that bother you. Find someplace where you can relax and be alone with your thoughts. With a paper and pencil write down everything that comes to mind that you regret. All those things that burden you now that are long over.

And when you're done burn the paper. See all that weight being cast away in fire and cleansing your life of it so that it is not in the past where it belongs. And your future is in God's hands.

There are a great many Bible verses referring to God's power and the power of Fire. Release your burdens of things that are long over with. Realize that all that you've done is not who you are. They are things you did that helped you to learn how to be you, learning from those things, right this moment. (HUG) Find peace child of God.

Hey, thanks for you reply. Burning the paper might work but I can't find a quiet place where I could set a fire and burn the paper, any advice?

 

[Spring Waters]

I don't know your situation so as to advise you further. If you care to share why you can't find a quiet spot I may be able to come up with some ideas.

 

[AIR]

I've got a quiet place, my home but as you told me that I should make a fire and burn the paper. I can't make a fire at home, and if I did that outside it'd look very weird one man setting up a fire in the woods and burning something :D

 

[Spring Waters]

:D Who cares what neighbors think? This is your life. Save yourself and save them the trouble of making it their business.

Not so weird. You can take your list of things and tear it up, ritualizing still further that you're dismembering those regrets and tearing them away from your memories so they no longer have substance. And then you can take them outside after the list becomes little pieces of paper and put them in an old coffee can with dirt in the bottom so as to help the embers have a place to fall while the paper burns there and lite the papers and drop them in the can. Preferably a large coffee can.
Let it burn and as you watch the flames consume the paper imagine that's God's eternal power taking away all your regrets and burning them clean away.

You know how a forest fire is a terrible sight when the news covers the story? And yet that area that was formerly ravaged by the flames grows richer in foliage and grasses throughout the next seasons. Because all the charcoal and ash that was left behind after that sweeping flame went through feeds and nourishes the ground and all that's hidden there waiting to sprout again. Seeds from distant trees carry on the winds and find purchase in that newly enriched soil and begin to sprout new life where the old was burned away.

Same goes for this Fire prayer to God. Cleanse your memories of things past, which no longer matter in the present, and make room for new experiences that you can face for what you've learned from those old memories and experiences. Don't let your regret break you down. Find what you learned from those experiences and make them serve you instead. Serve to make you stronger for having survived them. What made you to realize what the negative side of yourself looked and acted like and resolved to change in future so that you are never that person again.Because you know how it felt as it happened, and you know how you felt recalling what you did.

 

[WIP]

I feel a bit sad because I've done things in the past that I regret alot and I wish that my life would have been different. It's hard to continue life with carrying the past on my shoulders. I regret alot because theres a possibility that I might have committed blashphemy (about the band stuff that i'm not proud anymore) and i haven't been the best student in Christianity so far. What's up?

There is but one hope and that is in Jesus Christ.

Matthew 6:9-15.
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Who do we need to forgive? Everyone including ourselves! Put your faith and trust in Christ and not on your own understanding.

 

[Davies]

I feel a bit sad because I've done things in the past that I regret alot and I wish that my life would have been different. It's hard to continue life with carrying the past on my shoulders. I regret alot because theres a possibility that I might have committed blashphemy (about the band stuff that i'm not proud anymore) and i haven't been the best student in Christianity so far. What's up?

Hi AIR,

As the years add up, who doesn't have a lot of regrets? This is my attitude to the past, and it may be similar to what Spring Waters has already offered by taking the past to God in prayer. When you put your trust in Jesus, the past becomes the means to explore God's grace! Sometimes it's hard to trust God that He would forgive you so much, because He is holy, but there lies the proof in the past. God having His beard pulled out, His skin eviscerated, long thorns pressed into His head, and ultimately being nailed to a cross gasping for breath as He breathed, 'It is finished.' You can explore every sin of your past knowing God has perfect knowledge of it, unlike you. You can also know that God is not reluctant when He forgives, but rather, He has joy in forgiving you. Your past should not be your burden, but it is an expanse open for you eyes to gaze upon the grace of God who no longer holds your sins against you.

- Davies

 

[tandemcpl]

Hello Air,

I waited until I was almost 53 years old before giving my life to Jesus and I can assure you that my past is riddled with some major sins, including blasphemy. However, none of that matters to Jesus. Once we confess our sins we are cleansed and become new creatures.
<O:p</O:p
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9, ESV)<O:p</O:p
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<SUP></SUP>Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.<SUP> </SUP>The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Cor. 5:17, ESV)
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Be blessed.
<O:p</O:p
Toby

 

[AIR]

Do I have to visit a priest to confess my sins?

 

[tandemcpl]

Read this thread. I think you’ll find some helpful answers in it.
http://www.christianforums.net/showthread.php?t=12946

 

[Tj Brown]

Hey AIR, I know how you feel. We all make a lot of mistakes in life and sometimes they're pretty big. But the most important thing to remember is that Jesus is bigger than them all. When he died on the cross, he paid your debt and mine, and all He asks of us is that we believe in Him and trust in Him. Remember Romans 8: 38-39. "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." NIV by the way. Hope this helps you out!

 

[Davies]

Do I have to visit a priest to confess my sins?

AIR,

The only priest you need to confess to is Jesus. In confidence, it's good to share what God has done for us, so we may time to time confess to one another. But as far as being cleansed from sin, Jesus is the only mediator.

- Davies

 

[Claudya]

Do I have to visit a priest to confess my sins?

No, you don't have to. You can be sure of God's forgiveness when you genuinely regret those things in your heart and do all you can to discontinue your sins. (I wish I had Bible quotes for that statement. )
But talking to someone helps. It helps when a "real" person can assure you that your sins are forgiven.
Well, it doesn't have to be a priest. The Bible says we should confess to each other. You can talk to any christian friend/ brother/ sister, maybe someone older and more experienced in the way of christian faith (so a pastor or priest you trust could be a good choice to talk to after all!), especially if you are still young and new to it.
Most important is that it is a person who you trust and who you can believe, so you can accept God's forgiveness. Otherwise, if you keep worrying about it, your sins of the past will keep you stuck in the past, even though God has forgiven you, and that would be sad and destructive for your future.

 

[WIP]

Do I have to visit a priest to confess my sins?

If it's alright I'd like to offer my thoughts on this question. Your question suggests that you have some Catholic teaching in your background. I am a former Catholic and today I am a member of a small country Lutheran congregation. In James 5:6 we are told to confess our sins to one another. In John 20 Jesus sends out his disciples and tells them that if they forgive the sins of any they will be forgiven and if they withhold the sins of any they will be withheld. In 1 Timothy 2:5 we are told there is only one mediator between God and man and that is Jesus the Christ. There are many more references to confession and forgiveness but I think these illustrate my point that we are to seek forgiveness from our Lord but it can also be helpful to seek support and fellowship from our brothers and sisters in faith.

I do not believe it is necessary to confess our sins to a priest but I also don't think it is a bad thing to do. In fact, it is one of the things that I miss not being a member of the Catholic denomination anymore and I even brought this up once in one of our council meetings.

 

[wayseer]

I've got a quiet place, my home but as you told me that I should make a fire and burn the paper. I can't make a fire at home, and if I did that outside it'd look very weird one man setting up a fire in the woods and burning something :D

You don't need to set fire to the forest. A simple ceremony in the privacy of your home will suffice. A candle and and small fireproof basin is all that is needed.

It is all in your head. You can choose to hang on to the past or use it to beat yourself to a pulp every night.

There is also a difference between 'regret' and 'guilt'. Regret is something we can do something about - guilt is what is pronounced on us from outside.

Jesus did away with the guilt trip - you can do away with the regrets. It's your call.

 

[lw9]

A simple ceremony in the privacy of your home will suffice. A candle and and small fireproof basin is all that is needed.

Where exactly did you get this ritual from? God does not require it, and it's not described or taught in the Bible as a means of forgiveness.

As for true forgiveness, Christ completed His work on the cross for the forgiveness of sin. All of it - past and present. He is the only one we need to receive forgiveness. Rather than a ritual, turn to the real and living God and pour your heart out to Him. Confess your sins directly to Jesus Christ - you don't need a priest to act as mediator. Christ is our high Priest, now and forever.

 

[wayseer]

Where exactly did you get this ritual from? God does not require it, and it's not described or taught in the Bible as a means of forgiveness.

I first encountered it as Buddhist practice. You make a list of all that you want to get rid of and simply burned the list. There gone.

As for true forgiveness, Christ completed His work on the cross for the forgiveness of sin. All of it - past and present. He is the only one we need to receive forgiveness. Rather than a ritual, turn to the real and living God and pour your heart out to Him. Confess your sins directly to Jesus Christ - you don't need a priest to act as mediator. Christ is our high Priest, now and forever.

Yes - we know - but it is easier said than done.

 

[WIP]

I first encountered it as Buddhist practice. You make a list of all that you want to get rid of and simply burned the list. There gone.



Yes - we know - but it is easier said than done.

Not if we put our complete faith and trust in Him.

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

the Charlie Daniels song "Heart of my Heart" says it for you:

I'm not proud of the past but I can't do a thing
To make up for the time that I've lost
Now my heart and my soul
And what life I have left
I lay at the foot of the cross