• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Frank Viola | Beyond Evangelical

Frank Viola | Beyond Evangelical

Official Blog of Author & Speaker Frank Viola. Digging below the surface and moving beyond the shallows in today's Christianity.

  • Contact
  • Books
  • Samples
  • Podcasts
  • Articles
  • Courses
  • Speaking
  • YouTube
  • FAQ
  • About

The Pain of Regret

Welcome to another Thursday UNFILTERED blog post, the only blog that bought a ten-dollar pen because it always loses pens and got sick of not caring.

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

~ Romans 8:18

The pain of regret is far worse than the pain of discipline.

That statement is attributed to someone named Nathan Whitley.

To put it another way, the pain of discipline is far less severe than the pain of regret.

Jim Rohn’s rendering of the idea is as follows:

“We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.”

Indeed, the pain of regret is far greater than the pain of discipline.

I wish I had come across this pithy quote when I wrote 48 Laws of Spiritual Power.

It meshes nicely with Law #29 – “Do Not Compromise.”

Indeed, I would have added it to that chapter.

Discipline is painful. At best, it’s annoying or inconvenient.

That’s true for physical exercise, saying “no” to certain temptations (like mainlining Kettle potato chips after 9pm), to spiritual disciplines, to denying ourselves in all areas.

But regret over a mistake we’ve made during a moment of stupidity is far more painful.

Such regret can sometimes haunt a person for their entire lives, so it’s essentially permanent. And it can even be ignominious.

Discipline, on the other hand, is temporary for the moment.

“Just one more pushup, and I’m finished! (Now I can eat that cheesecake.)”

Scratch that last sentence. That’s the regret part.

So here’s my own paraphrase:

The pain of regret is far greater than the pain of discipline.

The pain of discipline is far less severe than the pain of regret.

In fact, this thought is so wise and practical that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to tattoo it under your eyelids.

Or more realistically, write it on an index card and tape it to your bathroom mirror. Or make a screen saver out of it.

Keep it before you somehow.

The pain of regret is far greater than the pain of discipline.

The pain of discipline is far less severe than the pain of regret.

Oh, and please don’t quote the above on social media. I didn’t originate this line, I merely adjusted it.

Like Jim Elliot did with a quote by Philip Henry.

Elliot: “He is no fool, who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.”

Henry: “He is no fool who parts with that which he cannot keep, when he is sure to be recompensed with that which he cannot lose.”

If you want to quote the idea on social media, quote Whitley or Rohn’s rendering.

Regardless of which quote you like best, you and I would be wise to never forget the idea.

And as with all of my articles, you’re free to share the link to this article on your social media pages.

Until next Thursday,

Your brother,

fv

For more, check out Christian Stuff That’s Not Boring.

P.S. If someone wanted to change your life and zealously forced this blog post on you, you can appease them and subscribe here. It’s gratis and comes with a dozen Super Fire Hot Wings … the kind you can only eat after you sign a set of release forms. (No lemon suckers please. They won’t understand the humor.)

Category: Spirituality

About Frank Viola

Frank Viola is a best-selling author, blogger, speaker, and consultant to authors and writers. His mission is to help serious followers of Jesus know their Lord more deeply so they can experience real transformation and make a lasting impact. To learn more about Frank and his work, go to 20 Years of Projects. To invite Frank to speak at your event, go to his Speaking Page. Due to a new problem with persistent spam that we haven’t figured out how to control, comments are closed for the present time. To contact Frank, use the “Contact” page in the top menu.

Previous Post:An Important Invitation
Next Post:Industrial Church and Discipleship

FRANK’S UNFILTERED THURSDAY ARTICLES CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

Just click the button and sign up. It’s free and you’ll receive two books and an audio seminar as a “thank you.” Welcome to the deeper journey!

Sign Me Up

Frank Viola

Frank is a bestselling author, speaker, podcaster, and blogger. He helps serious followers of Jesus know their Lord more deeply so they can experience real transformation and make a lasting impact. His blog – frankviola.org – is regularly ranked in the top 5 of all Christian blogs on the Web and his podcast – Christ is All – has ranked #1 in Canada and #2 in the USA on Apple Podcasts. He and his conversation partners also host The Insurgence Podcast. Frank’s books have sold over 600,000 copies and they’ve been translated into many languages.

Learn More About Frank
  • Books
  • Podcasts
  • Articles
  • Courses
  • Speaking
  • FAQ

Privacy Policy

Terms and Conditions

Copyright © 2025 · Frank Viola · Designed by Stormhill Media

Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions