For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.
– James 3:2
Mistakes. We all make them, but then what? Mistakes as well as failures tend to be seen as a negative in our culture. We are taught to avoid, to hide, to do whatever it takes to not make mistakes or admit failure. But might there be value in our mistakes and in our failures?
There definitely can be, but only if we allow it. Only if we have confidence in God that He can make a positive out of any negative. We can only learn if we resolve to be teachable. Ah, there’s the key. To be teachable. To seek understanding. To gain the invaluable experience that seems to only come from making mistakes and failing.
How we perceive things has the power to stifle us and hold us back or to propel us forward. If you were brought up in an environment where success was pushed at all costs and anything else was punished, an unrealistic and suffocating mentality most likely took root. And that root usually grows into a fear of making mistakes and failing. However, mistakes and failures are unavoidable. In fact, they are a part of life. How unfortunate so many are stuck in this rut of apprehension and anxiety when it comes to making mistakes and failing. On the other hand, if you were raised with the freedom to explore, to err, to make mistakes and yes outright fail, how liberating. What an opportunity to learn. Someone once said, if you are not failing, you are not trying hard enough. Rarely does anything new we try go without some mistakes and failures. The question we must ask ourselves is, will the possibility of mistakes and failure hold me back from the possibility of success?
Now don’t get me wrong here, we should not intentionally make mistakes or put effort into those things that are bound to fail. But we shouldn’t be afraid to dream, to try, to fail. When we accept the possibility of disappointment, we open ourselves up to the freedom to grow. So why fear something that has the ability to make us better.
Anyone who has read just about any part of Scripture can’t help but notice all the mistakes and failures people of God have made throughout the centuries. From Abraham to Moses to King David to Peter to Paul and of course Adam and Eve. What we find out is that even when there is a heart to follow God, the greatest opportunity to learn comes from the ashes of where we crash and burn. Now we are back to being teachable. From a faith perspective, we must get to the point in our humility before God that allows us to accept what He has for us. We must also understand that mistakes and failures do in fact come with consequences. Because my mistakes and failures cost me something, they tend to have a much greater impact on my ability to learn and to grow. And in the presence of the Holy Spirit, that growth takes us in a direction that we would have most likely never gone if we always resolved ourselves to fear and avoidance.
This is not about intentionally falling into sin, however many have solidified their faith through repentance. The mistakes and failures we are talking about here are those overly ambitious things we do that just may be our own ideas and not God’s directions. Believe me, I have had many of those in my life. As the mistakes and failures become evident, God seems to simply say, I appreciate the effort, now let Me show you why it didn’t work. What a great place to be! Instead of contamination if I receive coaching. Instead of an, I told you so, He picks me up, dusts off the mistakes and failures and grows me through the process. Many times those are some hard, even heart wrenching lessons, but I for one wouldn’t trade them for anything. When I learn to listen to God’s guidance, success comes, even when I make a mistake or fail.
Jason Metz, lead Pastor
