Mistakes

In my life, I have encountered a lot of consequences for bad choices and decisions in my life. I have reaped what I have sowed. I am not sure what happened but I know I need God's grace to help me what I am facing today. I can tell you without any fear of contradiction or oversimplification that the root cause of all marriage conflicts is selfishness. I can say that because there's probably no better practical synonym for the concept of sin than selfishness. We keep forgetting that we took one another as sinful, frail, imperfect persons, and not as angels, or as blameless and perfect. There is no immunity from conflict.

Never look back; never waste your time in the present; never waste your energy; forget the past and rejoice in the fact that you are what you are by the grace of God. God does not want to remove your memories; he wants to redeem them. He wants to transform them into something good, something that will make you more like Jesus. Do you see the hope this offers Christians? Your bad memories of your past sins - even the worst ones - can be opportunities for life-changing growth. You do not need to avoid, run from, cover over, or get rid of your past.

Mistakes that are understood but require effort to prevent. The kind of mistakes that defines me and my character. I am going to have to start accepting responsibility makes learning possible and don’t equate making mistakes with being a mistake. I know that I can’t change mistakes, but I can choose how to respond to them.

I like these two quotes by John Calhoun:

* In looking back, I see nothing to regret and little to correct.

* Learn from your mistakes and build on your successes.

John Caldwell Calhoun (March 18, 1782 – March 31, 1850) was a prominent United States politician from South Carolina during the first half of the 19th century. He served as the seventh Vice President of the United States, first under John Quincy Adams (1825-1829) and then under Andrew Jackson (1829-1832).