Nobody likes making mistakes and even more distasteful is being corrected for the error.
This is true for the small child misbehaving at home and for the veteran employee who is expected to avoid errors in performance or judgment.
Like you, I’ve made mistakes along the way in my secular and ministry careers.
Sometimes, the mistakes prompted difficult conversations with those to whom I was accountable.
I’ve always tried to learn from the mistakes and the subsequent “I need to do better” conversations.
Is it easy to admit a lapse in good judgment or a lack of extra effort that might have found a better solution?
No.
But you already know this from your own experiences.
Listen, we can always do better.
Even if we’re already doing well at work or personal ministry.
God wants the best from us because He wants the best for us.
That’s why He disciplines us from time to time.
Just as we err at work, we also err at times with our personal ministry efforts.
Perhaps we’re too lax in our pursuit of personal holiness. Or perhaps we’re neglectful of His call to work harder in building up our congregation’s volunteer ministries such as education or fellowship or worship music or whatever.
Because God always seeks and works for our good, we should welcome His corrective voice whenever we hear it.
For example…
“Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.” (Revelation 3:19)
The next time you hear the voice of the Holy Spirit convicting you to cease a particular sin or to let go of a particular grudge or to get more involved with a volunteer ministry at church or to start tithing as Jesus commanded, please don’t ignore the heavenly rebuke.
Humbly repent and then earnestly await the peace and the blessing that comes from a corrected relationship with your Father in heaven.
If you’re like me, you’ll find that it’s SO much better after conceding to God that you can do better.
As always, I love you
Martin
