Your greatest mistake is believing there’s any such thing as a mistake.
I first encountered this insight in spiritual direction, and it has completely changed how I think about my life. I used to get so stuck in the guilt and shame of what I called mistakes. I sometimes still do, and the result is inner anguish.
But now I have a way out. It’s as simple as pausing for a moment, closing my eyes, and asking God to help me see my life from his perspective. That simple moment of reflection and surrender changes everything. It takes me out of anguish and into healing, freedom, peace, and even joy. I begin to see the greater purpose of what I was calling a mistake. I also gain insight into how God used my poor choice or bad judgment to teach me important lessons and even transform the situation for good.
If I had a second chance, I would do things differently, and so would you. But since life doesn’t allow do-overs, our only path out of the anguish is a spiritual one. That’s where the miracle of our Christian faith comes in. In Christ, God’s new beginnings are innumerable — available not just every day but every moment.
The catch is that it takes a lifetime to learn to see our “mistakes” as God does — not as horrendous disasters from which we can never recover, but as colorful threads in the magnificent tapestry of love and grace that the Master Weaver is creating from our worst human failures.
During the Advent/Christmas season, we wait in eager expectation for the transforming ways that God will break into our lives as Christ is born in us anew.
Let’s continue our journey toward hope and joy this Sunday!
In eager anticipation,
Evan Howard,
Minister