Who Doesn’t Make Mistakes?
The way a pencil is designed with lead on one end and an eraser on top emphasize revisions being an integral part of using the pencil. Our laptops and mobile devices also have keyboards that are designed with the ubiquitous ‘delete’ key, ready to deal with any mistakes. It doesn’t judge the mistakes we make, it simply erases them.
These are everyday reminders that in life, even when we put in our best efforts or have the best intentions, we can still make mistakes – some easier to erase while others leave more permanent marks.
Where do humans get this propensity to make mistakes? Scripture tells us in 1 John 1:8,10 that if we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us… If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word is not in us.
In other words, who are we kidding? Truth is, we are all sinners. Romans 3:23 reminds us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. In other words, we permanently fall short of God’s original design. We can deny it, hide it from others, or mask it, but we cannot run away from our own fallibility and convince ourselves that we’re good people as long as we are sincere in our actions or that we try hard enough. Our moral goodness, will-power, and accumulation of knowledge don’t make up for our fallen nature.
However, as believers, we know that God has promised to be our ever-present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). He has also promised us abundant life (John 10:10) because He knows that we will always come up short.
How can we keep ourselves in a healthy spiritual state free from the control of sin in our lives? There are two basic things we need to keep doing:
#1 Acknowledge our sins
Consider the autocorrect and predictive-text functions on our phones: one detects spelling mistakes and the other suggests words to prevent mistakes. When we enable these functions to run, they train us to recognize what mistakes look like, and we write better text messages when we accept the corrections highlighted. On the other hand, if we dislike their interference, we can disable these functions and never see our mistakes!
In life, we commonly make mistakes in timing, place, or approach but these are not the mistakes we are talking about. The greatest mistake we make is not recognizing that we are imperfect and that God alone is perfect. Romans 12:3 tells us: do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
When we overestimate ourselves, we become obsessed with being in control because we desire perfection apart from God. An elevated opinion of ourselves shuts God out of our lives.
It is important to recognize that sin lies at the root of many of our missteps, misunderstandings, misbelief, mistrust, and misguided thinking. Sin creeps in when we don’t submit to correction and we constantly justify our actions with defensiveness. If you notice this in those around you, ask yourself: does this reflect God in their lives?
Romans 7:17-18 puts it succinctly: it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing.
The way to a more God-enhanced way of life is to acknowledge our own susceptibility to sin, even when it is not clear to us. It takes humility. Psalm 19:12 highlights this paradox: but who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
#2 Repent of our sins
Repentance is a gift from God.
Only the imperfect are candidates for it.
Michael L. Brown
The next step after spotting mistakes in our text messaging is to delete and replace them with the appropriate words. In the same way, after we acknowledge our own sins (with God’s help and the Holy Spirit’s conviction), we need a reset. This is done by telling Him that we are sorry for missing the mark and asking Him to help us get back on track to rebuilding our lives and our relationships.
This involves a conversation with God that goes beyond a cursory ‘sorry’ to a sincere desire to let Him initiate a deep change and transformation in us. This absolute surrender to God’s sovereignty (powerful words!) creates a simple posture that invites Him to overhaul some aspects of our soul that have been eroded by sin.
The counter-attack on sin is not caution but confession. Caution can paralyze us into a false state of safety through inaction. Confession to God is an act that recognizes our human failings and acknowledges our inadequacy for appropriate action.
How effective is our confession to God? If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). It’s instant-on His part.
With God, our lives are subject to constant change that bring improved quality and meaning. Yet He doesn’t run on the policy of three strikes and you’re out. On the contrary, we find in Micah 7:18: Who is a God like Him, who does not stay angry forever but delights to show us mercy.
Are you feeling less effective over time? Do you want to live an empowered life?
Then, lean in and let God examine your heart. Let Him weed out sinful habits and give you the reboot you need! Nobody says it will be easy. We must be ruthless with sin and refuse to let it fester and overstay in our lives.
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