Mistakes

Nothing alienates us or makes us feel a certain way like making a mistake or thinking we’ve failed at something. Trust me, I know — no one beats me up more than I do when I make a mistake, fail, or think I’ve disappointed someone.

For example, I was just on the Bible App website wanting to open the Bible section. I kept clicking “Bible,” wondering why the screen wasn’t changing… then I realized I was already on it. I sat there afterward thinking, oh my gosh, what is wrong with me? That was dumb. I need to get it together.

This was completely insignificant, yet I talked to myself as if it were a huge deal.

Does any of this sound familiar to you?

You have to remember — you aren’t alone in your mistakes. We all make them.

We are told by many pastors and teachers in our lives that we need to remember the good things God says about us — who we are and whose we are. That we are chosen, enough, wonderfully made, known, and forgiven. But when something goes wrong or changes, we let it weigh on us as if it were entirely our fault.

Sure, it’s possible that the choice we made directly affected what happened. But we also have to remember that God works in and through everything. That mistake or failure can be used by God.

Once we truly understand that God can use all things for our good and His glory, we can better attach Scripture to our lives and believe it.

2 Timothy 3: 16-17 – “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”

God is always at work, and a lot of the time we don’t know what is happening because we aren’t fully aware of the battles taking place. They are happening around us. It’s in the battles we face directly where we feel our mistakes the most — where we feel out of control, like there’s nothing we can do, and we just want to give up.

Think about Moses walking in the wilderness for 40 years with ungrateful people, all while knowing that because of his mistake and disobedience to God, he would not be entering the Promised Land but would only see it from afar. If he had chosen to think, What’s the point? I don’t even get to go, the outcome for God’s people could have been very different because they would have lacked a faithful leader.

Instead, Moses kept going. He knew the path and the journey would be long and hard, but he pressed forward. It was the calling God had given him.

His mistake produced growth. His decision to keep going despite his failure was used by God. God worked through Moses in spite of his mistakes, and He will do the same through you.

It is in our faith that we find strength no matter what comes. Because we believe in Jesus, we know that through every up and down in life, we are being strengthened and our roots are growing deeper and deeper. It’s our faith in God that helps us discern, speak truth, work together, and strengthen other believers. We are all part of the body of Christ, and because of our trust and belief in Him, we will not be tossed around or influenced by everything that comes our way — not even our own mistakes.

Ephesians 4:14-16 – “Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”

How you talk to yourself matters. If you say it out loud, you probably believe it. We have to be careful not to let our troubled hearts control us but instead let the truth of God’s Word guide us.

Jesus was sent to die for our sins. He was sent to wipe away our failures and mistakes. His love has atoned for us, and we need to remind ourselves of that truth daily.

When we replay our failures over and over in our minds, we are clinging to something Jesus already paid for. When we call ourselves hopeless, incapable, or not enough, we are speaking against what God has already declared to be true about us.

Romans 8:1 tells us, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” That means the shame, the guilt, and the constant self-criticism are not from Him.

Conviction is from the Lord — it corrects us and leads us to growth. Condemnation tears us down and keeps us stuck. There is a difference.

Yes, we will make mistakes. Yes, we will fall short. But we are also forgiven, redeemed, and refined. God is not surprised by our weaknesses. He knew every failure before we ever made it, and He still chose us.

So, the next time you catch yourself saying, “What is wrong with me?” pause and replace it with truth. Speak what God says. Remind yourself that you are growing. You are learning. You are covered by grace.

Let your words — even the ones you speak to yourself — reflect the mercy and love that God so freely gives.