Foolish Hindsight

People say, “Hindsight is 20/20.”  They mean we see things in the rearview mirror we missed as we drove by.  I really hate hindsight.

Hindsight shows me how foolish I really am.  I look back over the last 2 years and I see all of the classic signs of a brain tumor in Wendy.  They were signs I should have seen.  I look back over the last nearly 18 years and I see some pretty foolish things I did as a parent.  They are things I did in anger to make a point, but neither made my point, nor satisfied my anger.  I look back over 22 years of marriage and I have to laugh at some of the arguments Wendy and I have had.  They were things we thought life and death depended upon.  They didn’t.

When I look back on my years of following Jesus, there is much I regret.

I was harsh and judgmental.  I was a legalist.  I was self-righteous.  I twisted Scripture to get what I wanted.  I faced tough moments and denied my faith.  I have made some pretty foolish stands.

I hate the rearview mirror.  It is not safe to drive watching it.

Judas betrayed Jesus.  I am sure he had his reasons.  At the time it must have seemed like a wise and good move.  It wasn’t.

It didn’t take Judas very long to look in the rearview mirror and regret what he had done.  He could see clearly his foolishness.  The consequences would change the world.

Judas couldn’t take his eyes off of his sin.  He drove looking at the rearview mirror.  He never looked back at the road.

Jesus death means we can look back and groan, but our mistakes do not have to end our lives.  We have to keep driving down the road.  Grace demands it.

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3 Responses to Foolish Hindsight

  1. Tracie Eklund says:

    Thank you Derrick. I also have a mirror to the past that makes me groan at times. But, I am so thankful that God can use us to his purpose and glory in our weakness. He reveals things to us in his time and I believe that no matter what we do, GOD will be glorified. Not because of us, but because he is working out his perfect will in our lives. Prayers still continue and we are so very, very thankful for God’s grace to your family and for HIS grace always.

  2. Tom Dodson says:

    Derrick, I guess that Jesus is the only one without regrets and dealing with you and I that could change!!!! Really tho, some regrets are life changers. When I was in my early twenties I had a strong desire to “speak for the Master”. As a matter of fact I was speaking in small churches in eastern Oregon almost weekly, but alas here came children, 3 to be exact and I was locked into parenthood. My point? Philippians 3: 13-14, Paul said to forget those things from the past and stretch toward those things which are before us. Good advice don’t you think? Tom

  3. Sharon Rice says:

    Keep on keeping on down that road. Great advice. We are studying The God of Grace this Summer. Eph. 2:8-10.

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