Dwight Fletcher | Why are you ‘fishing’ when you could be flourishing?

Over the last few weeks, we have been talking about regret. We began with the reality that all of us have something we wish we could change. We then explored what happens when regret begins to define us, when one mistake, one failure or one painful season starts shaping how we see ourselves and what we believe is possible.

Through the stories of Peter and Judas in the Bible, we discovered how radically different our lives can be, depending on how we respond to failure. Finally, we considered some practical steps towards moving on: acknowledging our regret, facing the truth, receiving God’s forgiveness, forgiving others and ourselves, and looking for the good God can bring from what happened.

But, knowing how to move on and actually doing it are two different things. I know that letting go of regret can be difficult. Some experiences change us. Some decisions carry consequences that cannot simply be erased. Some apologies cannot undo the damage. Some opportunities really have passed. And, sometimes, even after God has forgiven us, we struggle to forgive ourselves.

So, for our final conversation around regret, I want us to consider something important about Peter’s restoration in John 21. I want to suggest to you that, even though God did not cause Peter’s denial, God used it to promote him. Jesus knew the denial was coming. In Luke 22:31 (NIV), Jesus said, “ Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Do you see that Jesus was praying for Peter’s recovery? If Peter responded to his failure correctly, it would make him stronger, wiser and a better leader.

Peter was destined to become the leader of the first-century church but he was a little arrogant. This arrogance would have destroyed what Jesus was building. The temptation and denial were one way for Peter to face his humanity and grow in humility. So, Jesus restores Peter by allowing him to reaffirm his love for Jesus three times, the same number of times he denied knowing Christ (John 21:15-17).

Once Peter confessed his love to the Lord, Jesus said, “Feed my sheep”. Jesus called Peter to be a shepherd of the Lord’s people. He was fully restored and ready to enter into his role as a leader of the Church.

time to move on

Peter could move on from this, and so can you. Let me declare some truth over you. You can move on from the words spoken over you. You can move on from bankruptcy. You can move on from your failed relationship. You can heal from your miscarriage. You can trust again. You can dream again. You can move on from the addiction. You can cancel regret and allow God to help move you to a new season.

A life focused on past mistakes is a life lived outside of God’s plan for us. Now, it is core to the Christian message that we are guilty of wrongdoing, that we need a Saviour, that we have sinned and fallen short of God’s plan for us – but it’s also core to the Christian message that Jesus has freed us from our sin, that we can be released from the prison of our past.

Some of you need to move on today. Life is too short to live in the past. Cancel the power of regret in your life by putting it into the hands of Jesus. What you did may have been bad. What they did may have been bad. It may have produced pain. It may have been life-altering. But it is time to move on. Why are you fishing when, by the grace of God, you could be flourishing?