Articles
Things You Should Do Only Once
Here are some things I’ve only done once in life (at least ones that are repeatable):
*Chased my reptiliphobic wife through the house with a lizard.
*Got up to preach without my sermon notes.
*Ran out of gas on an interstate.
Unfortunately, the list of dumb things I’ve done repeatedly is a lot longer. It is easy to mindlessly beat ourselves up over our mistakes, but the proper response is to learn from them and become wiser. Here are four keys to doing this:
Avoid making excuses. We learn early to rely on ready-made excuses to unburden ourselves: “I’m only human.” “That’s just the way I am.” Self-justification doesn’t lead to true improvement. Yes, we are human and make mistakes. But God gave us a mind that can learn from them.
Analyze what happened. What wayward attitude, flawed logic or lack of foresight led to the mistake? What needs to change to avoid repeating it? When an airliner crashes the FAA and NTSB examine procedures, equipment, etc. to avoid a repeat. Aren’t you glad? Shouldn’t we do the same?
Observe the effects on yourself and others. We’re often not the sole victims of our errors. Do we really want to be a grief to those we love? Was your behavior hurtful? If so, accept it and determine to stop it.
Recognize the pattern. Train yourself to see the markers that lead to mistakes. Learn to see the danger early rather than when crisis explodes. Accepting our humanity should make us cautious, for our weakness has been demonstrated time and again.
