Learn to accept your mistakes

The wise king Solomon wrote, “A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful, but if he confesses and forsakes them he will get another chance” Proverbs 28:13.

Humility is an awareness of our continual need for growth, not thinking of ourselves more highly than we should, and having a proper respect for the contributions that others have made to our success. It is not always easy to be humble, to say, “I made a mistake” or “I’m wrong.” We all like to be right because it makes us feel good and accepted. It boosts our ego and self-worth. As good and right as we may be or want to be, we all fall short and make mistakes. Since life is a learning experience, we must learn how to handle these difficulties.

If we refuse to admit our mistakes or wrongdoing, we stop the growth and progress in our lives. The Proverb says, we’ll “...never be successful”. There is a right way and a wrong way to deal with a fault or mistake. Our system says, “Don’t admit or say anything, because it may be held against you,” which encourages us to hide our wrongdoing and live with guilt against our better judgement. This leaves the following unfinished business that will haunt us: (a) guilt, which will bruise our conscience to where we cannot even trust ourselves; (b) hardness, we become defensive and protective, because we are afraid to be real.

This is not the way God has designed life. He encourages us to be honest and responsible for our actions. We cannot be healed or forgiven without admitting or acknowledging our weaknesses. A wholesome way to handle wrongdoing is to admit it, confess it and forsake it as instructed in the Proverb above. We will not forsake wrongdoing until we humble ourselves and confess it. This means accepting the responsibility for our behaviours.