John Greenleaf Whittier is quoted to have said, “Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, ‘It might have been.'” Can you relate? As you look back over your life to this point, do you have to acknowledge a time of regret because you know deep down inside that things could have been so different, so much better (or at least you THINK things could have been different or better)? I imagine that each of us who have lived very long could identify certain moments in which we might think this about self.

But would you allow me a few minutes of your time to delve into this matter? First, let me encourage you to think for a moment about that time in your life. In your mind, how do you think things could have been different if that event never occurred, or if you had responded to it differently?

Let’s think about the Apostle Paul as an example. He was a man who suffered terribly. He offers a list of some of his sufferings in verses 22-33 of the eleventh chapter of Second Corinthians. Would you allow me to engage in speculation for just a moment? We might read that passage and think that Paul could have accomplished so much more for the glory of the Lord had he not experienced those setbacks. As a matter of fact, in the very next chapter Paul tells about an episode in which he prayed three times that God would remove some unidentified problem he faced. God chose to allow Paul to suffer that problem, telling him that God’s grace was sufficient for Paul, and He would reveal His strength through Paul’s weakness.

As we go through life we face many different situations. These situations and circumstances can present us with times of extreme pleasure, or excruciating pain. We might feel backed into a corner, forced to make a decision. As we consider the decision, we might identify several different options available to us. We then choose, and go off in a certain direction. Later, we might think back and ask ourselves, “It might have been…. better, different, more profitable, less painful…” The list of possibilities is veritably endless.

However, in all honesty, we really don’t know, do we? We don’t know if things would have been better; they may have turned out far worse. We don’t know if a different route would have produced more profit; it may have cost us everything. All we can do is speculate. But speculation at this point is futile, because there is no way of really knowing how things would have turned out had we chosen a different path.

I would like to close this blog with a Biblical admonition, and then with a few pointers that I would suggest as we go through times of life-changing decisions. James gives us some very helpful instruction concerning this matter. It is found in James 13-16: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’: whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’ But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.”

Of course, what we have talked about in this blog is the propensity we have to second guess a decision we have made, and think that things might have turned out differently if… What James is speaking of is making plans for future endeavors. But if we bring these two thoughts together, we can see how to make decisions and then never have to worry about what might have been.

In essence it is simply this: make prayerful decisions, not presumptuous decisions. Don’t make a decision based upon what you presume will happen, because, again, that is nothing but sheer speculation. However, if we take time to pray about the decision, seeking God’s guidance, and then make a decision based on the direction He gives, then we can move into the future with confidence that what we are doing is right. Now, does that guarantee the decision will result in prosperity, plenty, and pain-free living? Absolutely not! The Apostle Paul lived his life as best he could in following the Lord’s will, and yet he suffered terribly. But his suffering resulted in God’s glory.

As believers, that is our ultimate purpose in life: to glorify God in all we do. If we enjoy a life of plenty, glorify God. If we live a life of pain, glorify God. In all things, glorify God. Don’t live life looking over your shoulder into the past thinking about what might have been. Live this moment, and every moment, in the conscious reality of His presence, and trust that He will guide you in every decision you make. He will never, ever, steer you in the wrong direction.

But I know, you are wondering about those times in which you know you made a wrong decision. God gave clear direction, and you chose to go in exactly the opposite direction. What then? That will be the subject of my next blog, so check back for my response to that self-imposed dilemma.