Making a mistake doesn’t have to define us. Yet, as a counselor I talk to many people who interpret themselves by their mistakes. Others are quick to hold a spouse, child, or co-worker hostage to long ago failures.
Some of us wear mistake-colored glasses that distort the world around us. God, however, views us through different lenses. We need to put on our God glasses when it comes to failures. Here are some things to remember about making a mistake in the Backward Kingdom.
Five things I learned from my mistakes
1. God never looks at my mistake as though I am the mistake. He has the amazing ability to separate people from their actions. His love for me never ceases and is not altered by my faults.
2. The stain some mistakes leave on me and others is wiped clean when I seek forgiveness from God and from those involved in my fiascos. The memory of the failure may remain, but the stain is gone from my soul.
3. Mistakes are opportunities for learning and growth. How can I grow if I don’t fail? How will I know where I need adjusting if I am always faultless? Mistakes become trophies when used to grow me into the person God is calling me to be.
4. Mistakes are simply missed—takes, which means the next time I face a similar situation, I can take a different response than the one I chose this time.
5. Every leader has a long track record of mistakes trailing behind him. Apparently it is part of the qualifying process in becoming a leader. Check your Bible for a list of such leaders, and join the ranks of those who reign in the Backward Kingdom.
Questions to ponder
- What have you learned from your mistakes?
- What have you learned from your successes?
- How can something be considered a success unless the potential for failure is in the mix?
What is the greatest lesson your mistakes have taught you? Share with us in the comment section below.
Learning with you, Susan
(Life has been busy lately, so this is a repost of an earlier blog post from 2010. And yes, I’m still learning from my mistakes!)
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This Post Has 2 Comments
GREAT subject Susan…..one that I wonder if we EVER get right!!!! My biggest test on this one, is learning to forgive MYSELF. It will probably take the rest of my life to get this one right…very time!!!
At least we can be sure to get it right in the next one….that’s a given!!!! PRAISE God!!! xx
Learning to forgive oneself is hard for many, Moira, and you’re right, it is a life long journey. I look forward to eternity future where counselors won’t be needed, and we will stand fully knowing what it means to be forgiven. Only Jesus can do that kind of inner, lasting work in each of us. Miss you, love you, and thanks for stopping by. 🙂