Bible Verses About Regret (and 3 Ways to Let Go)
I sit beside the window in the morning light as birdsong tangles in the poplar tree’s outstretched branches. This morning, my heart is heavy. Pulling out my Bible, I begin listing words that bring comfort: Bible verses about regret and remorse.
Perhaps you need these words today as well.
We all face times when we look back with regret and wish we could begin again.
Today, we’ll look at a list of Bible verses about regret. Then, I’ll share three practical ways to let go of our regrets and move forward.
Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you move forward.
Bible Verses About Regret
Let’s begin by turning to God’s Word.
Hope-Filled Bible Verses About Regret
1. 1 John 1:9, ESV
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Many of us have regrets about mistakes we made and sins we committed.
For all who have received Jesus as Savior and Lord, if we confess our sins, God forgives us. Cling to this as you move forward. God washes our sins as far as the east is from the west.
2. 2 Corinthians 7:10
For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
In his second letter to the church in Corinth, Paul wrote that he was sorry to grieve this church, but he did want their sorrow to lead to repentance.
Repentance is the act of turning away from sinful behavior and turning toward God. True repentance leads to deliverance. Empty regret is very different. This kind of regret wishes things had gone differently but never changes.
God is calling you to repentance, but he is not calling you to wallow in the shame of regret. There is no condemnation for followers of Christ.
3. Philippians 3:13
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.
Paul wrote that he was not focused on what was behind him. Rather, he focused on what lied ahead: testifying to the goodness of Jesus and helping others experience his love.
If we spend too much time ruminating over the past, we will miss the calling in the present.
4. Isaiah 43:18-19
Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
God promised his people that he had good plans for them. He would discipline them through a period of captivity, but he had plans to restore and renew them.
God disciplines us as well. Meanwhile, we can trust that his plans for us are good and full of hope.
5. Joel 2:25
I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you.
Joel promised God’s people that he would restore them.
He allowed locusts to destroy their crops, but he wanted them to look ahead to the restoration he would bring.
In times of regret, God calls us to lift our heads and trust that he has blessings in store. Our role is to trust and obey him.
More Bible Verses About Regret
6. Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Rather than feeling paralyzed by regret, we can trust that God is able to work all things for good.
God’s ultimate “good” plan for our hardships is that we will emerge looking more like Jesus.
7. Ecclesiastes 3:1
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.
There is a time to mourn and reflect on the past, but there is also a time to lift our heads and move forward.
We were not meant to get stuck in regret.
8. Hebrews 8:12
For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.
God has washed our sins away by the blood of Christ.
Receive Christ and rest in this.
9. Psalm 103:12
As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
If God does not remember our sins, we should not dwell on them either.
We can learn from them and avoid making the same mistakes twice, but we don’t need dwell on these mistakes.
10. Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
The voice of shame is a liar.
If you feel too broken to be used by God, rest assured that God uses broken vessels for his glory.
11. Micah 7:18-19
Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
God does not remain angry with us. He has compassion. He has cast your sins to the depths of the sea. Walk in this forgiveness today.
12. 2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Those who have responded to God by following Jesus are new creations. We leave the past behind and walk in new lives, free from shame and regret.
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Let’s now apply these Bible verses about regret to our lives.
An Application of These Bible Verses About Regret
Thelma and I became friends when she was 94. I showed up at the nursing home one December evening with framed photos of angels and gave them to the elderly residents for Christmas. It was a quiet act of kindness, and I had no way of knowing that it would lead me to one day learn how to let go of regret in the face of heartache.
Thelma’s mind was sharp, and she was dressed like she was going to church the first night we met.
Her white hair was perfectly styled, her lipstick was bursting with color against her pale skin, and she wore nylons, heels, a skirt, and a silk shirt.
I wondered if she lived in that tiny room or was simply a visitor like me.
She assured me it was her home and made it very clear that she wasn’t happy about it. She told me the story of the day she hurt herself after falling down in her living room and how her family insisted on the move despite her ability to navigate throughout her house.
The walker by her chair told a different story.
From the day we met, I visited Thelma once a month for close to five years. I always found her sitting in her chair, dressed elegantly, listening to talk radio. She never failed to smile broadly and say, “Well, look what the cat dragged in!”
Throughout the years, we unveiled the details of our lives over countless hours of conversation: her early days of motherhood, the arthritis that swelled her knuckles, and her distaste for frozen, prepackaged meals.
I shared my heart too. I shared my struggles in the classroom as a teacher, the details of vacations with my husband, and the highs and lows of everyday life.
How to Let Go of Regret
It was a cool autumn day, windshield wipers sloshing buckets of rain from the smeared glass, when I drove across town to visit Thelma at the nursing home.
She was wearing a royal blue blouse with magenta flowers and a matching pink skirt that afternoon. There were crumbs on her lap, and her eyes looked weary.
After our normal greeting and my polite declination of a snack, we talked about the rain, the problems her son was having with his health, and why certain relatives seldom visited.
An hour later, she grabbed my hand as I headed for the door and said, “Be careful on the bridges and overpasses! And remember I’m always at your side, looking over your shoulder.” She sent me off with these reminders after our meetings every time.
I smiled, “You got it. I’ll see you later.”
I didn’t make it to see Thelma the next month. Illness kept me away, and a visit was on my mind when my mom called on a Saturday evening with the news from the obituary section of the local newspaper. Thelma had gone to be with the Lord.
The words stung like winter wind hitting damp skin. The emptiness of her death hurt, and there was no one with whom to grieve.
The funeral was over.
I never met her children.
I didn’t even know where to send a card. No one else in my life felt the emptiness.
Moments like this tend to tug at our hearts with the sting of regret. Whether it’s the sudden death of a loved one, words you never got to speak, a reconciliation that never took place, or a mistake that haunts you when the night grows long, most of us hold some regret.
3 Ways to Let Go of Regret
If you need to let go of regret in any area of your life today, here are a few truths to stand on:
1. Ask God to search your heart and show you any lessons you can learn.
There are two kinds of sorrow: worldly sorrow and godly sorrow.
Worldly sorrow is regret without change, without an encounter with God.
Godly sorrow involves the gentle conviction of the Holy Spirit and leads to repentance, a literal turn toward God.
Ask God if you have regret because you have offended him by sinning against him. If your regret stems from a sin against God, turn your heart away from the sin and toward God. Commit to change your ways: to repent. However, there are times, like my regret over not saying goodbye to Thelma, when sin is not involved.
Hold onto this truth in moments when your regret is simply over something that went undone: Loving as well as you can in the moment is enough.
2. Learn the lesson; release the guilt.
Sometimes, regret is synonymous with guilt. If you’re having a hard time letting go of what you should have said or done, ask the Lord if there is a lesson to learn.
Sometimes, regret is synonymous with guilt. If you’re having a hard time letting go of what you should have said or done, ask the Lord if there is a lesson to learn. #regret #grace #guilt #God Share on XYou might learn to express your true emotions instead of waiting, be more present to those you love, send a message when you get a nudge on your heart, or stand against temptation in a different way.
Embrace the lesson.
Write it down.
Let it sink to your heart. And then release the guilt and move forward.
3. You can let go of regret by reminding yourself that you did your best.
What regret are you holding onto today? Did you do the best you could do with what you had at the time?
If so, your best was enough.
It’s easy to look back and consider everything we should have done differently.
No matter what form of regret you are dealing with, remind yourself that your best was enough.
There might be a lesson to be learned in what went unsaid and undone, but doing as well as you could at the time was your calling. Extend grace to yourself in these moments if you did the best you could.
It took months for me to release the pain of losing Thelma. I still miss her. But I cling to the sweetness of the memories. As I drive across the overpass on the far side of town, I hold the wheel with two hands and keep my eyes on the road. Thelma would be pleased.
~~~
If these Bible verses about regret and Thelma’s story blessed you, I invite you to explore our family devotionals and library of free devotionals and eBooks below. May God comfort you as you release regret and shame and turn into his loving embrace.
Calling All Parents and Grandparents!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
Attention All Boy Moms (and Dads)!
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Our Family Devotionals Here
Find all three books right here. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
Learn Why Willpower Doesn’t Work and Experience God’s Deliverance and Healing
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
A Free Devotional to Help You Connect With God
God is a good Father, and he wants us to experience his healing, deliverance, and replenishment. Most of us have learned that we cannot heal, deliver, or refresh ourselves; we need God to do this work within us. I invite you to create space for God to transform your life by downloading a free copy of my devotional eBook, The Lean Into Grace Devotional: An 8-Day Devotional for Healing, Deliverance, and Replenishment. Find it for free here. I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here! 
