Regret

I put brand new tires and a brand-new battery on my 2008 Toyota Forerunner in December 2025. It only has 292,000 miles on it (not much for a one-owner Toyota). Now I’ve gone and let it get low on oil and damaged the motor! Now it’s knocking! I’m told if I drive it, it could freeze up. It’s a good-looking black vehicle that handles great, and now, what do I do with it! That’s the price of neglect! Yes, I’m still chapped that I messed my car up. Yes, I’m dealing with regret. Repentance deals with the sin of neglect and poor stewardship, but there are still consequences to our actions—or our inaction. If I was a shade-tree mechanic, I would already have that engine out and figuring out what to do with it. I like that car, but affections don’t always balance out with the hard cold facts of book value of the car, versus what needs to be invested in it to get it up and running. Thank God we have another vehicle. It’s a Toyota also, and you can know this, it got its oil checked this morning! So, what do I take from this experience for a spiritual lesson? Number one, be diligent. Jesus said watch and pray to be accounted worthy to escape what is coming on the earth. Make sure you have oil in your vessels with your lamps. Coasting along in casual business-as-usual American Christianity can leave you lacking. I can work something out with my transportation in time, but Jesus warned that lack of proper spiritual preparation and maintenance can leave you outside, knocking at the door—eternally! The five foolish virgins failed to gain access to the wedding party, and the Bible says they heard the words “I know you not” (Matthew 25:1-13). Number two, as Jesus said, pray. Open up the lines of communication with God. That’s something you do now, not when you are drugged unto lack of sensibilities, or if you are suddenly taken from this life. God invites you to do that; He does not do it for you. Start talking to God. Open up in complete honesty to Him. You are not accountable to your spouse, your significant other, your preacher, your church, or to the “hypocrites in the church.” We each are solely accountable to God. The good news is that if we are totally honest with God, He is faithful to show us the truth about ourself and about Him. If we take ownership of what God shows us about ourself, then we can truly see that what Jesus did for us on the cross is our salvation with God. What Jesus did for us is what makes us right with God. None of our goodness or good works makes it with God. We’ve got to see that first, then we can see Jesus as our salvation. Forgiveness, fullness of the Spirit, healing—all we need is found in abundance in Jesus Christ.

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