I hope you are well. Let me ask you a question. Whose mistake/fault is easier for you to identify, your own or someone else's mistake?
Was that question easy for you to answer? Do you find it easy or hard to say "I was wrong" or do you find it easier to say "He was wrong?"
Matthew 7:3-5(TPT) says "Why would you focus on the flaw in someone else’s life and fail to notice the glaring flaws of your own? How could you say to your friend, ‘Let me show you where you’re wrong,’ when you’re guilty of even more? You’re being hypercritical and a hypocrite! First, acknowledge and deal with your own ‘blind spots,’ and then you’ll be capable of dealing with the ‘blind spot’ of your friend."
The Word of God says in 1 John 1:9 TPT "If we freely admit our sins when God lights uncovers them, God will be faithful to forgive us every time. God is just to forgive us our sins because of Christ and will continue to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
God is saying that when you have done something wrong, you should admit it and not make excuses for your own faults and blame others by saying "She caused it, he started it, it's his fault, etc." We even sometimes have children who say "She hit me first."
God is wanting us His children to accept responsibility for our own behaviour instead of blaming others or God. It is humility to admit that you have made a mistake intentionally or accidentally.
In Genesis 2:15-17, God commanded Adam not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and the day he eats from it he will die. Did Adam follow this commandment? No. Adam didn't. See the conversations between Adam and God below:
The Word of God says in Genesis 3:9-12:
God said, “Where are you, Adam?”
Adam answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
Adam said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
Read what Adam said again. Adam immediately blamed his wife and God for the mistake he had made.
Now, let's find out how Eve handled the mistake that she had made. The Word of God says in Genesis 3:13:
God said to Eve, "What is this you have done?"
Eve said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
Similar to Adam, Eve immediately shifted the blame to the serpent. This shifting blame is part of the sinful nature that the Lord wants you to get rid of. God already knew that Adam and his wife had sinned as nothing in all creation can be hidden from God's sight (Hebrews 4:13) but God wanted Adam and Eve to reach out to Him to admit their mistakes and be remorseful about their actions (Proverbs 28:13). The Lord honours those who humble themselves before Him, those who admit their mistakes (James 4:10).
As well as admitting your mistakes to God, the Lord still expects you to admit your faults to others that you have wronged so that you can experience emotional healing and not welcome sickness into your life. James 5:16 ERV says "Always tell each other the wrong things you have done. Then pray for each other. Do this so that God can heal you. Anyone who lives the way God wants can pray, and great things will happen."
When you admit your mistakes, the Lord also gives you a fresh start and you will receive mercy from God (Proverbs 28:13). If it is a relationship, the individual may give you a second chance by not withdrawing from you.
I love how David admitted his wrongdoings to God in Psalm 32:5. David said "Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and you forgave the guilt of my sin."
Being a child of God is about your willingness to admit your mistakes and make a commitment to wanting to change.
I am aware that there will be times when other people's mistakes impact you negatively. As a Christian, one of the things that you can do in that situation is to pray for the individual and ask Jesus to flood their heart with His wisdom so that they can operate in line with God's purpose for their life.
Under no circumstances should you address an issue if you are struggling to regulate your emotions as you may end up saying things that you will regret. You may also end up saying things that the Lord will hold you accountable for. The Word of God says in Matthew 12:36 TPT "You can be sure of this: when the day of judgment comes, everyone will be held accountable for every careless word he has spoken."
I love hearing from you in the comment section. Please take a minute to say hello in the comment section.
Have a lovely day!
Yours in Christ,
Mysses Lafunky
I have a free e-book for you. The book (15 Women of the Bible: How They Lived a Purpose-Driven Life). This e-book was written by my Bible Study Group. To download it on Google Drive for free, click here.
