Letting Go of Regret - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - September 15, 2025
“Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account” (Ecclesiastes 3:15).
When I reflect upon my life, I have many regrets. While most of us try to do anything and everything to prevent feeling regret over our lives, sometimes it is unavoidable. I started feeling regret back when I was in homeschool. I loved my time in homeschool, but you also get disconnected from the world. As someone who has always gone to public school, I find it hard to adjust to being at home every day.
I was taken out of school for bullying, yet I still wanted to connect with others. My family was not super social, so I was always seen as the odd one out. Nonetheless, when I got older in homeschool, I yearned to find a new friend or to meet someone randomly. This rarely happened, and when it did, I would never see them again.
For years, I had no social interactions outside my family, which took its toll on me. I wanted to be like any typical teenager, but I knew that wasn’t an option. Therefore, I kept my mouth shut and remain at peace with others around me. As an adult, I understand why my family kept our social circle so small. My mom had seen the damage inflicted by people at school, and she wanted to protect us.
My biggest blessing from homeschool was that I became best friends with my sister. We had been best friends since we were babies, as we are only 10 months apart; however, during public school, we didn’t talk as much. Since she had her friends and I had my friends, we spent more time with our friends than we did with each other. However, once we were in homeschool together, we quickly became best friends again.
While I can reflect upon this season of my life positively now, it wasn’t always positive. During homeschool, I developed anorexia, went through abuse by my eldest sister, and was manipulated to go further into my eating disorder. It was not a good time, but I try to look at the positive aspects of my history rather than drowning in the pain. Ultimately, when we reflect on our lives so far, we will have to consider the positives and negatives.
The negatives are never favorable, but we wouldn’t be the people we are today without them. We have developed endurance and perseverance through the hardships, difficult times, and struggles. It took me a long time to get where I am today, but I don’t regret it. Taking your time is more beneficial than just “getting back on the horse again.” Healing takes time, and for healing to be true, we must reflect on the things and people who have hurt us.
Therapy has been my main way of addressing and working through the past. It also helps me get out of toxic situations and start afresh. With God’s help, all of us can start new and truly start living the lives God wants for us. It might take time, but waiting on God’s timing is always best. Wait on God and allow Him to teach you about Himself through the smiles and the tears.
King Solomon offers us these wise words, “Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account” (Ecclesiastes 3:15). everything in our life will be brought up before us in Heaven. Whoever has hurt us or caused us hardships will be held accountable. Therefore, please don’t feel bad when evil people succeed in their wicked ways. God will bring them to account.
Everyone who has hurt you and the pain inflicted upon you has not gone unnoticed by God. As you reflect on your life, remember that God will heal all your hurts, wounds, and regrets. Every believer will receive comfort from God in Heaven, and we will be kept safe from future pain. Rather than reflecting upon regrets in the past, reflect on your future in Christ.
“Dear God, I have many regrets when I reflect upon my life. Please help me let go of these regrets. Bad things and good things have happened, but help me learn from both situations. I praise You for bringing all things to account and noticing each of my falling tears. I praise You, God. Amen.”
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/olegbreslavtsev
Related Resource: Instead of Doing More This Summer, Maybe You Need to Do Less
If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
