In his book, If Only, psychologist Dr. Neil Roese makes a distinction between two different types of regret: regrets of action and regrets of inaction. A regret of action is doing something you wish you hadn’t done. A regret of inaction is NOT doing something that you wish you had done. In theological terms, action regrets are the result of sins of commission while inaction regrets are the result of sins of omission.

I think the church has fixated on sins of commission long enough. They may be easier to quantify, but the greatest regrets at the end of our lives won’t be the things we did wrong. Our greatest regrets will be not having done the right things- things we could have, should have, and would have done.

Action regrets taste bad, but inaction regrets leave a bitter after taste that lasts a lifetime. they haunt us because they leave us asking ‘what if?’. — Mark Batterson, Chase the Lion

I am so excited about the new year.

I understand that today is really no different than yesterday. There is nothing magical about January 1st. No pixie dust fell from the sky last night and I only saw one unicorn in the wee small hours of the new year so it isn’t really that special.

However, we all live by the calendar and the first day of the new year just lends itself to the feeling of a fresh start. I have been ruminating over the passage from Batterson for quite sometime. Back in October a few friends of mine and I caught a glimpse of a coming movement. A movement that desires to see God’s people throwing off all that hinders them and becoming a force that once again changes the world.

I feel like 2008 is the begining of something spectacular. The movement begins in the heart of individuals as the seek to glorify God in all that they do. Day by day I am trying to connect to this desire a little more than the day before. I invite you to join me.

The road ahead might be frought with dangers: apathy, criticism, and rejection. The key there is “might be”. I’m no longer interested in being afraid of what dangers there “might be.” Are you?

2008: The Year of Trying

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You Might Die Trying
Dave Matthews Band

To change the world
Start with one step
However small
The first step is hardest of all

Once you get your gait
You will walk in tall
You said you never did
‘Cause you might die trying

If you close your eyes
‘Cause the house is on fire.
And think you couldn’t move,
Until the fire dies
The things you never did
Oh, cause you might die trying
‘Cause you might die trying
You’d be as good as dead
Cause you might die trying
Cause you might die trying

If you give, you, you begin to live
If you give, you begin to live
You begin, you get the world
If you give, you begin to give
You get the world, you get the world
If you give, you begin to live