Sound of Surviving Blog

Sometimes it seems like we’re all always so worried about making mistakes. If we make a mistake, we automatically think we’ve failed and aren’t good enough. But no one is perfect, no one gets it right all the time; even if their Facebook and Instagram posts tell a different story. Trust me, everyone, every single person, makes a mistake, at least once in their life, probably more than once in their day.

We are not called by God to be perfect, but to keep going, to keep on trying. The Bible tells us that we will face trials and difficulties, but to take heart and have courage, because God has overcome the world. If we have God on our side, no mountain is too steep or too exhausting, no matter how many times we stumble going up it, we know that God’s hand is right there to pull us back up again. God knows and understands that we’re human, and that we’ll make mistakes, but that’s why he sent his son, Jesus to die on the cross for us, so we could be made new in him.

No one figures everything out right away, on the first try, or the first time around. But they kept going; they kept trying. Making mistakes is part of the road to success, part of the process, it’s not a sign of failure. One of my favorite quotes is from Ornette Coleman, who says, “It was when I found out I could make mistakes that I knew I was onto something.” Mistakes are not setbacks, but rather important insights to guide us. Thomas Edison made over one thousand failed attempts at inventing the lightbulb. But he kept trying. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. But he kept working, kept on going.  He’s now a six-time NBA champion, five-time NBA MVP, and a 14-time NBA All-Star. He won Rookie of the Year. He retired with the NBA’s highest-scoring average. I could go on and on with stories of successful people who made mistakes and failed their first time around; Walt Disney, J.K. Rowling, Oprah, Steve Jobs, etc. But the same thing they all have in common is that they never gave up. They made mistakes, but they learned from those mistakes, and kept trying. We should learn from ours too, and use them as stepping stones to propel ourselves forward.

‍James 1:12 reads, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”  Keep going, keep trying, you’ll still make mistakes, but God’s reward for us is far better than anything we could ever imagine.