We have all made wrong choices, and done things we know we’re not the best choices. We make mistakes in life but we are not to let those mistakes define our lives. We must move beyond them by acknowledging them, learn the important lessons needed for your growth and future successes.
If you’re bothered about your past mistakes, it may interest you to know that not all mistakes cause shame. Yes, not all mistakes end up being fatal or a curse. On the contrary, not all mistakes end up being a blessing either.
My assignment today is to call your attention to the inward bickering, hatred, and bitterness that can deprive you of the best life because the mistakes we sometimes make can come out to be a blessing.
A. Look at the story of Moses for example in Exodus 2 and 3.
Key Points:
• Moses grew up like a prince in a palace.
• Moses saw how the Israelite slaves were treated. Exodus 2:11
• In his anger, Moses killed an Egyptian slave driver. Exodus 2:12
The Good news is that despite Moses’ mistake,
• God used him because God can use anyone, even if they make a big mistake.
• Our mistakes does not completely write us off God’s love, plan and purposes for us.
• Our mistakes can be a blessing in disguise.
• We must not be afraid of making mistakes because no successful person made it without a mistake at one time or the other.
• It is part of living to make mistakes.
B. Examine the outcome of Moses’ mistake and what we can do too:
- Activate faith – confront your mistakes by faith. We learn from Hebrews 11: 23-27 that Moses’ actions were inspired by faith. V27 says, It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.
- Learn from your mistakes
- Make good of your mistakes rather than discard them nor be fearful or ashamed of them.
- God may not completely erase the scars of our mistakes, but He can turn them around for our good. Remember the stories of Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 16); Joseph and his brothers (Genesis 50:15-21); and Romans 8:28
Though our mistakes can lead to circumstances and troubles that seem very grim, God yet understands, and can turn our mistakes into miracles.
Perhaps you have done the wrong thing…you’ve made some wrong choices…you’ve done what you knew you shouldn’t do…and now you’re suffering the consequences of those mistakes.
Regardless of any mistake you have made or tragedy that has come into your life, if you will turn to God, He is prepared to take your mistake, transform your awful circumstance, and turn it into a miracle.
A great example of how God can work in a miraculous way is recorded in the Old Testament. It is the story of Joseph cited above (see Genesis 37-47).
We know Joseph’s brothers hated him and threw him into a pit to kill but later decided to sell him as a slave to a foreign country. As a slave, his master’s wife lied about him, and was thrown into prison because he refused to sleep with her. He suffered unjustly.
Many bad things happened to Joseph but God took care of him through it all. In the end he became the prime minister over all of Egypt. The Lord took all the tragedy in Joseph’s life and turned it into a fantastic miracle that not only blessed Joseph but ended up saving the lives of his family and countless others in the land of Egypt and throughout the known world.
God has not changed. He can do the same thing for you. Regardless of the circumstances you are in, with God on your side, you can’t lose because having a positive perspective of your mistakes will help you to recover from them fast.
