LEARNING FROM OUR MISTAKES

We all make mistakes but it’s what we do after the mistake has been made that is the measure of who we are as a person. 

If you refuse to learn from your mistakes, you will be poor, and no one will respect you. If you listen when you are criticized, you will be honored. (Proverbs 13:18 ERV)

It is no surprise to God that we make mistakes.  His plan for us is not to sit in a corner because we fear making a mistake.  God desires that we limit our mistakes by seeking to know and do His will in all our affairs and when we stumble, admit the mistake and learn from it.  God promises us honour when we resolve to take this route.

The Bible is full of stories of people who made mistakes.  God’s people have never been perfect people.  The stories of their mistakes are included in God’s record of human history, not to shame the individuals but rather that we could learn from their mistakes and avoid making the same ones.

The things that happened to those people are examples. They were written to be warnings for us. We live in the time that all those past histories were pointing to.  (1 Corinthians 10:11 ERV)

Someone composed a simple plan for dealing with mistakes that had these five actions:- Own it. Apologize.  Accept the consequences.  Learn from it.  Let it go. 

Don’t quit your job simply because the boss is angry with you. If you remain calm and helpful, you can correct even great mistakes. (Ecclesiastes 10:4 ERV)

God made a way for us to deal with our mistakes.  Jesus died that we might be forgiven for our sins and His blood cleanses us from all past wrongdoing.

But if we confess our sins, God will forgive us. We can trust God to do this. He always does what is right. He will make us clean from all the wrong things we have done.  (1 John 1:9 ERV)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Please help me to seek Your will in all that I do and to work hard and make as few errors as possible. When I do make a mistake, give me the courage to admit it and deal with it quickly, and then let it go.  Amen