No Regrets

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us." 1 John 3:16

Eight years ago, when we purchased our townhome on Folly Beach, I was astonished by the story that went along with the man who sold us his townhouse. He and his wife had divorced and had three small boys who attended school in the area. The property owner had decided to move to California with his job. Before he left, he purchased this townhome to create a place where he and his boys could be together when he came into town and share in their relationship until all three boys had graduated from high school. For seven years, he flew in one week a month and they stayed at the townhome and enjoyed each other. We closed on our townhome the same weekend the last child graduated. I’ll never forget at our closing he had to write a check for $80,000 because he had sold in a low market but purchased in a high market. I felt so bad for him and even told him that. He looked at me and said something I will never forget. He told me that he had no regrets and would write that check all over again to gain what it bought him…fellowship and deep relationship with his children. No regrets even though it cost him dearly. I was considering how sad it would have been if his children would have not made time for him that week or made excuses for minimal time with him.

I began thinking how God removed His royal robe and put on flesh stepping down in a sin-soaked world to pay the price for our fellowship with Him. He wrote the largest check ever written with His blood to provide a place for us to be in communion with Him. I was considering how high the price was for Christ and we sometimes made little time with Him. We use excuse after excuse to give Him a fraction of the time He deserves. But even if we never visit Him, He still would have paid the price for us and written the check. The reason is because His sacrifice was not based on our performance or availability. His sacrifice was motivated by deep love for us, and obedience to His Father. He understood that with the price He paid, we could gain eternal fellowship and live in a home that wasn’t built by human hands. I’m so grateful that Christ has no regrets and wouldn’t take back the cross for anything because it gave us everything!

“For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.” 2 Co 5:1