No Ragrets - Personal Guardrails
• Remember
• Recall
• Repent
“Godly grief produces a repentance…
2 Corinthians 7:10
• Refocus
“Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new.”
Isaiah 43:18-19
“Great is His faithfulness; His mercies are new each morning.”
Lamentations 3:23
“We all sin and we all fall short of the Glory of God.”
Romans 3:23
“The prudent see danger and take refuge. But the simple keep going and suffer for it.”
Proverbs 27:12
The simple keep going and drive off the cliff.
Where do you need guardrails?
Career?
Marriage?
Finances?
Personal Integrity?
Many of our greatest regrets in life probably could have been avoided IF we had put personal guardrails in place…!
• Personal guardrails are standards of behavior that HAVE TO become matters of conscience!
• You can wreck your finances without spending unethically.
• You can ruin a relationship without doing anything sinful.
• Guardrails aren’t just meant to keep you on the safe side of right vs. wrong.
• In light of my past experiences, my current circumstances, and my future hopes and dreams, what’s the wise thing to do?
What’s the wise thing to do?
If you’re living too close to the edge, it may be time to set a guardrail.
Eventually our behavior (on the outside) will mirror what’s going on-on the inside.
• Guilt
• Anger
• Greed
• Jealousy
Guilt says, “I owe you.”
“Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.’’ And you forgave the guilt of my sin.”
Psalm 32:5
“I am about to die, and I cannot forget my pain. I confess my guilt; I am troubled by my sin.
Psalm 38:17-18
Anger says, “You owe me.”
“For a man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.”
James 1:20
“In your anger, do not sin; Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry and do not give the devil a foothold.”
Ephesians 4:26-27
“Fools give vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.”
Proverbs 29:11
Greed says, “I owe me.”
“A greedy man stirs up strife, but the one who trusts in the Lord will be enriched.”
Proverbs 28:25
“Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live.”
Proverbs 15:27
Jealousy says, “Life owes me.”
“But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual and demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.”
James 3:14-16
“So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy and unkind speech.”
1 Peter 2:1
Ignore the warning and regret will be waiting on the other side.
“Though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again.”
Proverbs 24:16