I recently read a modern-day parable-type story from Don Dickerman Ministries and thought it worth sharing. Here is an abbreviated version.Mrs. Erbol had two dogs known to be very bad. Fret, the female, was always barking, “What if?” and Regret, the male, was always barking, “If only.” They were so bad that the owner was warned to not keep them around very long, or they would become her master. She was told that they never would change, are not from God, and, as a Christian, she should get rid of them.Fret and Regret are mentioned in Matthew 6:34, which basically says to not Regret the past and to not Fret over the future. These dogs cannot be trained, and if tolerated or entertained, can become demonic. Fret will give you a spirit of fear that is not from God. If you try to bury your past without genuine forgiveness, Regret will dig it up and bring it back to you.Like other dogs allowed to run free, these two have unwanted puppies. The first two in a litter are Downer and Bummer and make everything negative with no vision and a sense of hopelessness. Then come Doubt and Pout, who are so mean that they bite themselves and so tough, the bite doesn’t hurt. Doubt slobbers with unbelief, and Pout rolls around in its own poop. The last two pups of this litter are Loser and User. Loser makes you see yourself in a way to hold you down and back. User makes you always seek from others, manipulating people for your own advantage.If Fret and Regret are not “fixed,” they can have another litter with pups named Whimper, Temper, Whiner, Piner, Moan, Groan, Ache, Take, Reject, Deject, Mope, Grope, Shame, and Blame. All of the descendants of Fret and Regret are unhealthy and unholy dogs. These dogs open doors for demons, sickness, infirmity, and disease.Seems everyone who has dogs from this breed turns out the same: negative, critical, poor self-image, physical and emotional sickness, hopelessness, and despair. Like a dog with rabies, Fret and Regret carry disease and must be put to sleep. Once you bury them, it’s best to not even visit the graves. Just thank God that they are no longer a part of your life.
