“You must make allowance for others faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” Colossians 3:13
The phone was silent but the text on the screen cried out, “I’m sorry”. My friend had made a blunder, a mistake, and she was remorseful. Her mistake didn’t directly affect me but I felt her pain. I could relate.
I’m the wonder of blunder!
I’ve been known to stick my foot in my mouth a time or two…or ten. Every now and then I reverse numbers, (thank you Jesus for online banking). I’ve left the main ingredient out of many a recipe, forgotten family members names while introducing them, I’ve said things a little too loudly that I shouldn’t have been saying at all, forgotten important birthdays, and I’ve sent a few texts to the wrong people. Uh oh!
Yep, goof ups, mess ups, oh no’s, and uh oh’s. Sad to say I could list many more.
Not all blunders are hurtful, but some are, and I feel horrible when I’ve battered someone with a blunder that left a bruise. We’ve all been on the wrong side of that hurt.
Most of us don’t set out to make mistakes that leave behind a bruise. Our intentions are generally pure. I just wish the resulting chaos it caused would go away.
Moreover, I want to be forgiven by those whose pain I’ve caused.
God’s Word reminds us in Colossians 3:13, to make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive because God forgives us.
Make allowance means, I need to allow someone to mess up. I need give out a token of grace .
Okay, on the flip side to my mess-ups, I try not to be easily offended by others who mess-up on me. However sometimes I wear my feelings on my sleeve. I guess I need a thicker sleeve, or skin. I’m working on it.
And that’s all God wants us to do, work on it; make every effort to live in peace with everyone (Hebrews 12:14).
The more mistakes I make the less I’m offended by others. So I guess you could say blunders aren’t all bad. When we apply God’s Word, our blunders can be a part of our character building process.
Okay friends, next time someone sends you the wrong text or forgets your name when they ‘re introducing you, put God’s Word into practice by forgiving them. Remember, they’re helping you build character!
Christy has a heart for writing, speaking and encouraging women to find joy by seeking out God’s presence in their daily circumstances. She is a girly girl at heart, who chases tennis balls for recreation, and loves scavenging the beach for sharks’ teeth. She’s been married thirty plus years to David (her polar opposite) and they have two adult sons and two daughter-in-laws. Christy is also a Life Purpose Coach. You can join her on the blog, Joying in the Journey at www.christymobley.com.
