“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by experience, which is the bitterest.” — Alfred Armand Montapert

“Mistakes are the portals of discovery.” — James Joyce

“Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.” – Napoleon Hill 

Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the LORD’s name; they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.” – Isaiah 55:13 NLT

Each of us can claim special characteristics, passions, and idiosyncrasies that define our individualism, but one trait common to all mankind is our prevailing disposition to make mistakes.  The Bible says, “God looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if there is even one with real understanding, one who seeks God.  But no, all have turned away from God; all have become corrupt.  No one does good, not even one!” (Psalm 53:2-3 NLT)

Some mistakes are easily corrected while others create far more devastation and lasting consequences.  Isn’t it funny how the same mistake can be made by two separate individuals – one reeking immediate havoc in the life of one person making the mistake while the other individual, making the same error, experiences limited problems or fading consequences.

Each of us can easily become lost in the cliché “Well…That will never happen to me.”, but what single injection of heroin became the tipping point toward a life that forever struggles with addition?  Which cigarette out of thousands smoked was the one that instigated the growth of cancer cells?  What particular drink, on any given day, turned a person from a casual drinker toward becoming an alcoholic for life?  What harsh word, argument, or betrayal turned a struggling marriage into one that is irreparably broken?

We can easily become deceived, thinking mistakes are common in this life and our partaking in something we know isn’t good or right won’t kill us in the immediate moment, however; it’s quite humbling and frightening to contemplate which mistake will easily pass and which one pushes us over the edge – forever changing our life and the lives of those we love.

Are you at this point in your own life right now?  Are you guilty of a mistake that has created an indelible mark – a stain on your life that cannot be removed or changed?  Have the consequences associated with the mistake become so large and looming that you cannot see a way out?

If this describes you and the mistake that forever changed your life, take time to read this scripture passage.  It has become one of my favorite verses!

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” – Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV

God is reminding us how intricately involved He is in our lives – birthing miracles from mistakes that seem too impossible to overcome or too devastating to rectify or repair.

If you’re looking for one of these miracles right now as you face a mistake that seems overwhelming and too destructive, realize you have a role to play in seeing that miracle come to fruition.

Here are some things to meditate on or contemplate as you seek God’s miracle-working power within your circumstances:

Acknowledge the Mistake

It may be obvious to some of you that acknowledging your role in the mistake – your role in the devastating consequences, seems pretty straightforward, but for many of us, acknowledging a mistake can destroy our self-esteem and self-image – creating a barrier in our mind too large to climb or cross.  If we personally acknowledge our role in making the mistake, isn’t that too self-destructive and self-deprecating?  Shouldn’t we come to our own defense or at least stand up for ourselves in some way?     

It seems far easier to blame our horrific circumstances on others – shifting the blame to them versus our own role in the mess that has transpired.  It’s also less damaging to our own egos to formulate excuses for our bad behavior – blaming the culture, environment, or the perfect set of circumstances that were too difficult to overcome or avoid.

I have met individuals like this, in fact; I have been one of those individuals myself at times!   I have come to realize that when we point our finger blaming others or identifying excuses behind our mistakes, we have three fingers pointing back at us!

We can excuse the affair by pointing out how neglectful our spouse has become to our own needs.  We can blame our addictions on how our parents treated us as children.  We can blame the loss of an important job on a miserable, out-of-touch employer or the defiance of a child on the friends they chose to hang out with.

The Bible says, “If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth.”  (1 John 1:8 NLT)

It can be TRUE that your spouse was neglectful, your child’s friends too rebellious and influential, and your parents too indifferent or uncaring, but it is also the TRUTH that you personally have a role in your affair, a defiant child, or a personal addiction.  Whether subtle or overwhelmingly obvious, you have a personal role in the mistake.  If you think otherwise, you are only fooling yourself – a deception geared to protect your own ego and self-image.  Refusing to accept this truth will create a wedge between your mistake and the miracle God has waiting for you on the other side of it.

The Bible verse above continues saying, “But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.”  (1 John 1:9 NLT)         

If you really desire to move beyond the mistake to the miracle that God has for you, acknowledging your role in the mistake is critical.  After my own divorce, it was far too easy to blame my wife for her role in it and the devastation that occurred, but I too had a role in the relationship and what transpired.  When I began to look hard at my own mistakes and my own behaviors – acknowledging my specific role in what unfolded, it was then and only then that God’s miracle-working power entered my life – starting the process of personal healing and inner restoration.

Are you acknowledging your mistake, looking for the hard truth and your responsibility within it – avoiding the comfort behind blame and deflection of what took place?

Open Your Mind to Correction, Guidance, and Wisdom

Once we acknowledge our role within our mistakes, the next step is to open our minds to accept correction, guidance and wisdom – moving us closer to the miracle God has in store for us.

It can be hard enough to acknowledge our mistakes, but opening our minds to correction can be equally as difficult.  Accepting guidance from loving family members, friends, or Christian counselors can feel demeaning and demoralizing, but there is great wisdom in opening your heart and mind to this kind of advice.

As I researched the concept of accepting correction, seeking guidance, and attaining wisdom for our life, I was astonished at the number of references to these ideas I found in the Book of Proverbs – authored by the wisest man on earth: King Solomon.

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” – Proverbs 11:2 NIV

“The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.” – Proverbs 12:15 NIV

“He who scorns instruction will pay for it, but he who respects a command is rewarded.” – Proverbs 13:13 NIV

“He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.” – Proverbs 13:18 NIV

“The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception.” – Proverbs 14:8 NIV

“A mocker resents correction; he will not consult the wise.” – Proverbs 15:12 NIV

“He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.” – Proverbs 15:32 NIV

“How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver!” – Proverbs 16:16 NIV

There are even more verses in Proverbs that urge us to heed correction, seek good, godly counsel, and to find the wisdom connected to our mistakes.

I remember a time in my own life when my personal pride finally diminished enough to seek advice and counsel surrounding my problems and the mistakes that led to them.  At first, I was greatly offended.  I wasn’t concentrating on my own correction or the wisdom that could be found in analyzing my individual role in what occurred.  I remember thinking:

“Who are you to tell me I need to forgive?”

“Do you have any idea how I feel or what happened to me?”

I wasn’t even at the point of acknowledging my mistakes – say nothing about listening to correction, sound advice, or looking for the wisdom hidden within them.

After much prayer and Bible study, I began to see some common themes in several passages that addressed my issues.  As I opened my heart and mind to God’s values and principles, I started to change.  The miracle of a new life and a new way of thinking emerged.  As I experienced this change, I couldn’t get enough godly advice, read enough material on my mistake, or stop listening to tapes and messages from experts about it.

When I got to the point of seeking the wisdom hidden within my errors, God granted me the discernment to see my mistakes differently.  I began to see how he was using them to begin something new in my life.  I began to see how mistakes can turn into miracles if we open up our hearts and minds to correction, guidance and wisdom.

If you’ve already acknowledged your mistake, move quickly to discern the correct behavior, seek godly advice, and search diligently for the wisdom that can be found at the center of your mistake.  As Napoleon Hill states above, you will find a seed of equal or greater value at the center of it 🙂 You will find yourself changing.  You will begin to feel the miracle taking place inside of you.

Trust in God’s Forgiveness and for His Ability to Create the Impossible

God knows us so intimately.  He understands the details of our life, our way of thinking, and the circumstances that have led to our mistakes.  The entirety of our lives is laid out before Him.  He knows all the choices, decisions, and mistakes we have made and all those we will make in the future.

When Christ died on the cross, He died for ALL our mistakes.  Trust that His love and forgiveness covers them all!  Here is my favorite verse surrounding God’s view of our mistakes:

“The Lord is merciful and gracious; He is slow to get angry and full of unfailing love.  He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever.  He has not punished us for all our sins, nor does He deal with us as we deserve.  For His unfailing love toward those who fear Him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.  He has removed our rebellious acts as far away fro us as the east is from the west.  The Lord is like a father to His children, tender and compassionate to those who fear Him.  For He understands how weak we are; He knows we are only dust.” – Psalm 103:8-14 NLT

In the Isaiah scripture verse I mentioned earlier, God pleads with us to forget the former things, to stop dwelling on the mistakes of the past.  He wants us to be assured that He is taking our mistakes and making miracles out of them – creating a way where there is no way currently – creating streams of life and renewal in the midst of a wasteland of mistakes.

You may think the mistakes made within your marriage are too far gone – too intense to overcome.  You may think your dead friendship cannot be brought back to life anymore.  You may think the addiction is too powerful to break or the affair is too far along to stop the harm it has caused.  You may think the mistakes you made as a parent are too large and too hurtful to ever bring your children close to you again.

If you do, hold on tightly to a God who says, “See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”

Remember what God told Jeremiah:  “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind.  Is anything too hard for me?”

Remember what Christ told His disciples when they looked at their own mistakes and the mistakes of mankind and asked, “Who then can be saved?”:  “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Remember what Christ told a father seeking help for his son, who in desperation said, “But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us”: “If you can?  Everything is possible for him who believes!”

It may seem too far gone, too dead, or too large, but God is all about the impossible 🙂

Today, let’s quickly acknowledge our mistakes, open our hearts and minds to correction, guidance and the wisdom hidden within them, and trust God for the miracle He is about create in our lives 🙂

“You, O Lord, are the God of miracles and wonders!” – Psalm 77:14 NLT