If I could have one wish it would be that I never made mistakes whether in judgment or action. Unfortunately, making mistakes is part of the human experiment and it is unavoidable. Those who know me know all my shortcomings even when I try to hide them. As a child, I idolized my dad because he never made mistakes, he could talk to anyone and get a conversation started, could fix anything, and drive anything with a wheel, brake, and a gas pedal so I put him on a pedestal I mimicked him, retold his jokes, and acted like him by claiming victories had never won. One day, I asked my dad, “How is it you never make a mistake?” thinking he may have a secret that would help me. My dad bowed his head for a moment and with a small grin on his face said, “I just clean them up before anybody noticed” which shocked me to my core. After all, how could my big strong dad be so sneaky while I was beating myself up for making a mistake! Here is the point, each of us makes mistakes and we have two options, “learn from the mistake” or “repeat them.”

            For years I have crucified myself physically and mentally for every mistake I made. It was not until I learned that man is not a Mistake, he/she makes mistakes and the place for all our mistakes is at the cross of Calvary or, in David’s case, Aranaugh’s threshing floor. When we sacrifice our mistakes and/or sins at the Cross of Calvary, it is not a simple matter of asking for forgiveness, there is a matter of paying for the damages. When David had committed an unauthorized census, the Lord gave David three choices as to how the Lord would punish him for violating the Lord’s commands to which he chose a three-day plague. It was not util 70,000 men in Judah died from the plague that David admitted responsibility. At the Lord’s prompting, the prophet Gad sent David to Aranaugh’s to build an altar and offer a sacrifice. When Aranaugh found out what was about to happen, he offered to pay for everything. Yet, David wisely responded, “I will not offer that which cost me nothing” (2^nd Samuel 24:20-25). In the same way, when we sin and/or make mistakes, we owe it to ourselves to fix or replace that which we have broken and apologize to those we have hurt before we pour our pains and sorrows at the cross (Matthew 18:15-20).

            My encouragement for you today is that you would consider that no one is above making mistakes not even the strongest most ardent Child of God (Matthew 24:24). If this writing resonates in your heart, I ask that you pray with me:

Father,

            You are Holy, just, and righteous. You know all about our shortcomings, the mistakes we have made, and the mistakes that we are about to make. Thankfully, you know the path to healing, so I no longer need to drown in sin’s grip (Isaiah 59:14-19). Please help me to not only ask for forgiveness but to faithfully take steps to keep from making the same mistake again, to forgive myself, and let the pain go (John 8:31-32).

In Jesus’ name

Amen

I.H.S. MK