Yet Another Year of Choices
By Barbara Dahlgren
General George Patton was a stubborn, obstinate leader. He was nicknamed “Old Blood and Guts” and many say he was the greatest combat general of World War II. However, he could never admit being wrong about anything.
One story says that Patton accepted an invitation to dine at a press camp in Africa during World War II. Wine was served in canteen cups. Patton thought it was coffee, so he poured cream into his cup. As he stirred in sugar, Patton was told that his cup contained red wine and not coffee. General Patton could not admit making a mistake, so without hesitation he drank it and replied, “I know. I like my wine this way.”
There may be a little of Patton’s blood (hopefully not the guts) in each one of us. It is hard to admit when we are wrong. We are very concerned about what others think. Yet the benefits far outweigh our discomfort when we have the courage to admit we’ve made a mistake.
James 5:16 says, “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another…” My favorite translation of this scripture says, “Admit your faults…(TLB) God will always forgive our sins, but when we admit to others that we are vulnerable or weak, it makes us a little more accountable for our actions.
Proverbs 28:13 says that those who try to hide their mistakes can’t really prosper. They have no peace of mind. They are always in fear that someone will find out. However, if we admit our mistakes and make a commitment to change, we get a second chance.
King David was called a man after God’s heart. (Acts 13:22) Why? He was not a man without sin. However, he was a person who could admit making a mistake.
When his predecessor King Saul made mistakes, he was not sorry for what he did – only sorry he got caught. For example, when God told Saul how to deal with Amalek, Saul chose to make compromises with God’s instructions. God wanted all of Amalek’s sheep and oxen destroyed, but that was not done. Saul and the men saved the best animals for themselves. (1 Samuel 15:8-9) To make matters worse, Saul did not take responsibility for his actions, but tried to pass the blame onto the people by saying, “The people saved the best animals to sacrifice to the Lord.” (1 Samuel 15:15)
When confronted and rebuked by Samuel, Saul finally said, “I have sinned.” Then he quickly added, “Yet honor me before the elders and Israel.” He wasn’t concerned about what he had done, only about how he would look in the eyes of others. (1 Samuel 15:30)
David is a different story. When he made mistakes – and he made some BIG ones – he was willing to admit them, genuinely repent, and change. When God didn’t want him to take a census of Israel and he did it anyway, he took the blame. “Let your hand, I pray, O Lord, be against me, but not against your people.” (1 Chronicles 21:17) When David realized having Bathsheba’s husband sent into David repented. (2 Samuel 11, 12)
Of course, he should have realized it all along, but he didn’t. He, like so many of us, wanted something so badly he was willing to do anything to get it. But when the light bulb went off in his head, he repented. He deeply repented. (2 Samuel 12:13) Read David’s Psalm of Repentance (Psalm 51) and see why he was a man after God’s own heart. David never tried to hide his mistakes. He admitted them, asked God’s forgiveness, and changed.
Consider this… It’s always risky to be open and honest about our mistakes. We think others will think less of us. That may be true to a certain degree, but most will come along side us, want us to succeed, and appreciate the courage it took to say, “I was wrong. I made a mistake.” These words can actually break down barriers and draw us closer to others.
Of course, if we’d rather go through life pretending we like a little cream and sugar in our wine, then bon appetit!
One final thought…
Making mistakes is not so bad. Not learning from them is a lot worse!
