"Will I regret this at the end of my life?"

I talked with my good friend, Loren Johnson, this week. Loren is the former worship pastor at King's Harbor Church and is currently on sabbatical in Nashville. His is not an ordinary sabbatical. He sold his house in SoCal, banked the equity, and is living for a while in Tennessee without a job. He and Christine, his wife, felt the strong leading of God to do this. Still, it is uncoventional to willingly go without work for six months to a year.

There are times when Loren and Christine consider the cost of taking this kind of sabbatical. They are spending some of their life savings. But here is how Loren weighs the decision -- and this is the thought-provoking question for us: "Will I regret this at the end of my life?" Besides the fact that he considers the sabbatical to be an act of obedience, he believes the investment he is making in his family and his musical creativity during this season will produce fruit, so that at the end of his days when he reflects back on things, he will have absolutely no regrets. I think he's right.

What significant decisions are you making? Are you keeping the big picture in mind? Can you ask, "Will I regret this at the end of my life?"

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