Reactions, Regret and Hope

1 Peter 1:13-23

As humans, we tend to react to things as they happen, with more raw emotion than thought.  Reading today’s passage, I was struck by verse 20, “He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.”  God doesn’t react in the moment - things have been planned since before time.  God has always known what he was/is going to do.

There is intention behind everything that comes from God and for us, being “holy in all we do” is a call to be intentional.  We need to think about it, plan for it.  If we leave our reactions up to mere chance, then we’re likely to find ourselves in some unholy places.

And just as being holy takes intention, to “set your hope on grace” also takes consideration.  Hope is based on planning ahead.  Hope itself means a desire for a certain thing to happen; wanting something to happen or be the case.

I’ve heard some people say hope is futile.  That it’s for fools and the weak.  I’m guessing they haven’t read Acts 2:23-28 from The Message, “this Jesus, following the deliberate and well-thought-out plan of God, was betrayed by men who took the law into their own hands, and was handed over to you. And you pinned him to a cross and killed him. But God untied the death ropes and raised him up. Death was no match for him. David said it all:

I saw God before me for all time.

    Nothing can shake me; he’s right by my side.
I’m glad from the inside out, ecstatic;
    I’ve pitched my tent in the land of hope.
I know you’ll never dump me in Hades;
    I’ll never even smell the stench of death.
You’ve got my feet on the life-path,
    with your face shining sun-joy all around.

Pitching my tent in the land of hope makes it so much easier to resist conforming to evil desires, which implies impulsivity, the consequence of which is regret.  But with God there are no regrets and life with no regrets sounds pretty good.

Acts 2:14-41

Many times during our life, we find we are living with regret.  We always seem to do things we wish we hadn't; or we wish we had thought through a decision more thoroughly before we charged forward with our plans.  The saying, "hind sight is 20/20" rings true.  When I find myself in this situation I know I have to regroup, think through the situation, examine it from all angles and then decide how to correct the mistake.

Acts 2 finds Peter reminding the people of David's words and the promise God made him. “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day.  But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne." (Acts 2:29-30)

As Peter taught them, the people came to realize they had crucified the one who came to save them.  Some of the people began to feel regret and then fear, wondering how they could make things right again. As Christ followers now, they wanted to undo the injustice.  We often find ourselves in the same situation of regretting yesterday's actions. 


"With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." (Acts 2:40-41)

The truth is we will always have regrets until the day Jesus comes to free us from "this corrupt generation."  The Good News is Jesus will return and there will be no more regrets.

Read Acts 2:14-41 here.