Handling mistakes

While some of your mistakes in life can be devastating, did you know that the vast majority of your failures can be turned around for something good?

It is true.

We all fail.  We all make mistakes.

Yet, I want you to know today that you can turn that mistake into something positive in your life!

Proverbs 24:16 tells us that "a just man falls seven times, but keeps on getting back up!"  (My paraphrase).

You are only a failure if you refuse to get back up and keep on going.

Some quick thoughts on this:

You will make mistakes.  You are not God.  You are not perfect.  You will fail.

It is important to admit that you failed.  Don't live in denial.  Do not try to justify it.  Confess your sin to others who were damaged by your mistake.  Proverbs 28:13, "He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy."

Give the responsibility of the mistake (failure, sin) to those who are truly responsible.  Accept responsibility if the genesis of the mistake comes from you.  If others are involved, allow them to accept their own share of the blame.  Don't cover for someone else!  I see parents who always "cover" for their children - and in doing so they destroy their child's chance to grow emotionally and spiritually.  Proverbs 19:18, "Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death."  Sometimes little "Johnny or Susy" did do wrong.

Be willing to experience the pain of your mistake.  We live in a world that refuses to allow themselves to experience the full depth of the difficulty they are going through.  From substances to medications to technology, people are doing everything they can to avoid "going to the mat" with their suffering.  There are times when God wants us to feel the hurt of our mistakes.  Can I share this with you?  If God cushioned every blow, you would never learn to grow.

Write out a list of lessons that you are learning from your mistake.  What have a learned about myself?  What have I learned about others?

Stop talking to everyone about your failure.  It's great to have that someone that you can trust to pour your heart out to (after pouring out your heart to God).  Stop putting yourself down!  Make up your mind that you are not losing the battle, you are in the process of learning!

Mend the broken fences that your mistakes have caused. 

Allow yourself time to heal.  Time does NOT heal all wounds.  But many times we need to give ourselves some time to get over, to grieve the fact that we have done something wrong. 

Use your failure to help someone else who struggles with the same thing.

And finally, never, never, never quit.  You can make it!  Don't let yourself stay on the bottom.  Rise up and reach for new heights once again!

Remember:  "Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world."  1 John 4:4

Just some thoughts for a Tuesday