In the End, Missed Chances Outweigh Mistakes

In the End, Missed Chances Outweigh Mistakes

Today we are launching a column featuring excerpts of recent sermons by Washington area clergy. This week's is from the Rev. Mark Batterson, lead pastor of National Community Church, which worships in movie theaters in the District and Arlington and its coffeehouse in the District. Its Web site ishttp://www.theaterchurch.org, and Batterson blogs at http://www.markbatterson.com .

Let me make a bold prediction: The biggest regret at the end of your life won't be the things you did that you wish you hadn't. The biggest regret will be the things you didn't do but wish you had.

That prediction is based on the research of two social psychologists, Tom Gilovich and Vicki Medvec. According to their research, time is a key factor in what we regret. Over the short term, we tend to regret actions -- things we did that we wish we hadn't. But over the long haul, we tend to regret inactions -- things we didn't do but wish we had. Their study found that action regrets outweigh inaction regrets 53 percent to 47 percent during an average week. But when people look at their lives as a whole, inaction regrets outnumber action regrets 84 percent to 16 percent.

Our deepest regrets at the end of our lives will be the risks not taken; the opportunities not seized; and the dreams not pursued.

2 Samuel 23:20 highlights one of the most obscure yet courageous acts recorded in Scripture, but it's more than that. It's a microcosm of how God calls us to approach life.

Benaiah chased a lion down into a pit. Then, despite the snow and slippery ground, he caught the lion and killed it.

When the image of a man-eating beast travels through the optical nerve and registers in the visual cortex, the brain has one overarching message: Run away. That is what normal people do, but lion chasers are wired differently. They don't see 500-pound problems. They see God-ordained opportunities. They are more afraid of missing opportunities than of making mistakes!

For most of us, finding ourselves in a pit with a lion on a snowy day would pose a substantial problem. Probably the last problem we'd ever have! But you've got to admit something: "I killed a lion in a pit on a snowy day" looks pretty impressive on your résumé if you're applying for a bodyguard position with the King of Israel! Not only does Benaiah land a job as David's chief bodyguard, he climbs all the way up the military chain of command to become commander in chief of Israel's army. Benaiah was the second most powerful person in the kingdom of Israel, but his genealogy of success can be traced all the way back to a decision that would determine his destiny. When opportunity roared, Benaiah didn't run away from what he was afraid of. He chased the lion.

When opportunity roars, you have a choice to make: Run away like a scaredy-cat or grab life by the mane.

Let this challenge you:

Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-size goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop criticizing and start creating. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshiping what's right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze new trails. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don't try to be who you're not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away. And remember: If God is for us, who can be against us?

What lion is God calling you to chase?

Maybe it's time to apply for your dream job; admit your addiction; ask her out; take the exam; go on a mission trip; take a night class; start a business; or write the manuscript. There is an old aphorism: no guts, no glory.

When we don't have the guts to step out in faith and chase lions, then God is robbed of the glory that rightfully belongs to Him!

Chase the lion!