Life Beyond Mistakes
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)
There is a story of a tourist who was visiting a famous landmark on the ocean. During his visit, he walked out onto a pier so he could see the ocean better. But as he looked over the edge of the pier, he was disturbed by how deep the water looked. As he was thinking about how deep the water must be at this point, he noticed an old man fishing off the pier. So he went over to the man and asked, “If I were to fall into this water, would I drown?” The old man smiled and said, “Nah. Falling into the water isn’t what drowns people. It’s staying under the water that drowns them.”
Making mistakes follows the same principle, because making mistakes is not enough to kill you. But when your regrets keep you from moving closer to God, that’s when problems start to arise.
Oftentimes I run into people who feel that what they’ve done is so bad that their life is over, that somehow they can’t rebound because of it. But that is not consistent with the hope we have in Christ. When Paul says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13), that includes overcoming mistakes. That includes turning your life around after you’ve failed or sinned.
There are a lot of people in the body of Christ who remain incarcerated by the mistakes or choices they’ve made in their lives. Maybe they’ve gone to jail. They’ve been caught stealing. They had a child at an early age. They dropped out of high school. Or they settled for any relationship rather than waiting on a godly relationship. Whatever the case may be, they believe that because of their mistakes, their future is dimmer, their chances for success are less, and their option to come through this is gone.
If you’ve struggled with be enslaved and defeated by your sin and your mistakes, let me encourage you. You don’t have to live that way any longer. If you are still breathing, God still has a plan and a purpose for your life, and not even your greatest mistakes can hinder that truth. Don’t let your sins weigh you down. Don’t let your mistakes hold you back. Instead, ask the Lord to give you the strength you need to keep going and to pursue the future He has for you, even despite your mistakes.
There is a story of a tourist who was visiting a famous landmark on the ocean. During his visit, he walked out onto a pier so he could see the ocean better. But as he looked over the edge of the pier, he was disturbed by how deep the water looked. As he was thinking about how deep the water must be at this point, he noticed an old man fishing off the pier. So he went over to the man and asked, “If I were to fall into this water, would I drown?” The old man smiled and said, “Nah. Falling into the water isn’t what drowns people. It’s staying under the water that drowns them.”
Making mistakes follows the same principle, because making mistakes is not enough to kill you. But when your regrets keep you from moving closer to God, that’s when problems start to arise.
Oftentimes I run into people who feel that what they’ve done is so bad that their life is over, that somehow they can’t rebound because of it. But that is not consistent with the hope we have in Christ. When Paul says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13), that includes overcoming mistakes. That includes turning your life around after you’ve failed or sinned.
There are a lot of people in the body of Christ who remain incarcerated by the mistakes or choices they’ve made in their lives. Maybe they’ve gone to jail. They’ve been caught stealing. They had a child at an early age. They dropped out of high school. Or they settled for any relationship rather than waiting on a godly relationship. Whatever the case may be, they believe that because of their mistakes, their future is dimmer, their chances for success are less, and their option to come through this is gone.
If you’ve struggled with be enslaved and defeated by your sin and your mistakes, let me encourage you. You don’t have to live that way any longer. If you are still breathing, God still has a plan and a purpose for your life, and not even your greatest mistakes can hinder that truth. Don’t let your sins weigh you down. Don’t let your mistakes hold you back. Instead, ask the Lord to give you the strength you need to keep going and to pursue the future He has for you, even despite your mistakes.
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Let it GoA Prayer for RestorationThe Power of Self-ForgivenessEmbracing FreedomFrom Transgression to RedemptionRelease and FreedomWisdom in ReflectionBlessed Assurance in ForgivenessEmbracing Divine RestTrusting in the WaitingEmbracing Peace in Unresolved MomentsMoving Forward Without ClosureA New Chapter AwaitsRefocusing for a New ChapterThe Danger of Looking BackLet God Be Your DefenseGod's Victory, Not OursThe Author of Your New ChapterThe Faithful Promise KeeperA Promise UnveiledThe Urgency of ObedienceThe University of AdversityThriving in AdversityForging the Future YouTransformative Power of AdversityThe Role of ResilienceThe Gift of EmpathyChanging PerspectiveGod's Purpose in Your AdversityThe Anchoring Power of TrustConsistent in Prayer, Unwavering in Praise
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