What's with Regret?

Regret is one of the biggest weapons Satan has against a Christian, but at the same time it's something we choose to do. There is a time for everything, including regret, but after you have been forgiven regret is doubting God really did forgive you. I think it's safe to say most of the times you have felt regret, it was is was in a sinful manner

God feels regret (Genesis 6:7; 1 Samuel 15:11), which means that there must be times when it's okay to feel regret, but these are in very emotional times such as before the great flood.

I'm not God and so I can't give a list of all the times its okay to feel regret, but through what the bible does say, we can understand why regret is such an issue and why we shouldn't do it. First of all, I guess would be examples of people who have felt regret in the bible

1. Adam and Eve (Genesis 3)
2. David (1 Chronicles 21:8)
3. Ahab (1 Kings 21:27)
4. Peter (Mathew 26:75)
5. Judas (Mathew 27:3-4)

Whenever any character in the bible is described as feeling regret, they have done something terrible. These are good times to regret, but lingering on regret is when it becomes a sin.

There is the initial regret, shame, guilt, whatever you want to call it after you sin, but asking for forgiveness should follow. There can be a state mourning, but it can't last forever. Just look at this verse from 2 Corinthians:

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
2 Corinthians 7:10

There is a time of sorrow, but after the mourning is up, regret needs to be gone.

I don't know how many times I've laid in bed thinking of things done and just thinking about how stupid that was. That's a sin. It's not godly.

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.
Philippians 3:13-15

I have used this Philippians passage in many posts, but in the light of regret, it takes a whole new meaning.

Forgetting what is behind

Regret hinders us in our walk with God! In order to get to the goal, to get the prize we must forget what is behind us! Just like we ought to forgive and forget, we must also be forgiven and forget.

If you can forget the past, you'll miss out on a lot of life. God has wonderful things in store for you, but you have to look for them or you'll miss out.

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 42:18-19

Sources:
http://www.openbible.info/topics/regret
http://www.gotquestions.org/shame-regret.html
http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Regret

Photo Credit:
http://alexrister1.wordpress.com/2011/12/07/

Trees: The Fig

The fig tree is pretty cool, but yet can be used to represent sin. Even the very first sin ever.

Then the eyes of both of them were opened...they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Genesis 3:7

When Adam and Eve sinned, they wanted to cloth themselves, so they made there own clothing. They did things their own way. When Jesus walked on earth, he cursed a fig tree for not bearing fruit. God cursed Adam and Eve for sinned and later they let God do things his way, by killing a lamb to cover them.

That fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley, will be like a fig ripe before harvest--as soon as someone sees it and takes it in his hand, he swallows it.
Isaiah 28:4

Figs are hard to see until they are ripe.

There is one ripe fig in this picture and many unripened figs. I circled some figs (I didn't circle them all) just so you can see how hard it is to find unripened figs.

He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who looks after his master will be honored.
Proverbs 27:18

Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered. Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.
Mathew 21:19; 32

At the end, Jesus starts talking about his second coming and signs of the end ages. And when Jesus cursed the fig tree, figs weren't even in season. I think Jesus did this to start a conversation about when he would return.

and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind.
Revelation 6:13

(These are not a fig trees, but a palm trees. Look at comments to figure out why they are here.)

The Acacia
The Cedar
The Palm
The Fig
The Olive