Have you ever said the wrong thing at the wrong time to the wrong person, or made a mistake that left you feeling really lame? Sometimes I feel like the world would be better if I just crawled back into bed and let others run my life. Mistakes can really undermine our confidence level. Been there—done that. Don’t want to go there again.

Being a parent multiplies the feeling as most of us want to protect our kids from making mistakes. Yet confidence is learned in the classroom of mistakes. God seems to know this—he doesn’t get worked up about mistakes like we do.

God has committed himself to finishing what he began in you at salvation. He doesn’t have a nervous attack when you or your kids blow it. The Holy Spirit wants to help you go on and learn from your failings. Cry on his shoulder, get up, dust yourself off, and walk on holding his hand. Be confident that he will finish what He began in you.

After all, this is what it’s all about anyway, isn’t it? God starts working in you, he nurtures and grows his image in you—building your confidence to be in him rather than yourself, and then God says, “Awesome! I love my job!”

Philippians 1:6 is a good Scripture to pull out of your brain file when times of failing come: “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (NIV).” God’s got you covered!

How have you learned confidence in the classroom of mistakes? Come out from under the covers and share your insights with us in the comment section below.

In Him together, Susan Gaddis