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Written by Kat Bittner, volunteer with and member of Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Colorado
“All men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong and repairs the evil. The only crime is pride.”
― Sophocles, Antigone
Yes. All men – and women – make mistakes. Putting salt in your coffee instead of sugar is a mistake. Going the wrong direction on a one-way street is a mistake. Misspelling a word on a spelling test is a mistake. Bumping into someone with your shopping cart is a mistake. Mistakes are errors in judgment, and no one is immune to them.
The same is true with sin, and even more so because sin is more than a mistake. It is a deliberate and willful choice to do something you know is wrong. “Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God” (1 John 3:4 NLT).
Like mistakes, everyone sins (Rom. 3:23). How we properly handle sin is the difference between yielding when we are wrong and pridefully acting contrary to what God wills for our life. The proper response to sin always comes from a humble and contrite heart. And what we learn from our mistakes, even more so from our sins, should cause us to grow in our spiritual journey and draw us closer to God.
One of the most notable biblical examples of learning from our mistakes comes from the story of Jonah. Jonah’s calling by God began with great reluctance. Not only did Jonah not want to do what God expressly told him to do, but he also tried to run away from it. His pride and self-righteous heart deemed the Ninevites less worthy of God’s mercy (Jonah 1:1-3; 4:1-2). Jonah believed that he should not go where God told him to go and do what God told him to do. That was a mistake. Jonah decided that he would instead go somewhere else and do something other than what God commanded. That was sin. Thus, the difference between Jonah’s mistake and Jonah’s sin was the difference between his error in judgment and his willful disobedience. Jonah’s disobedience also caused serious repercussions for others and put innocent men’s lives at risk (Jonah 1:4-15), thereby exacerbating the magnitude of his sin.
Also, Jonah believed he could “flee…from the presence of the Lord” (Jonah 1:3 NKJV) which was a mistake. He judged incorrectly that if he could hide from God or go somewhere other than where God wanted, he could avoid God’s will for him. “’Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?’ declares the Lord. ‘Do not I fill heaven and earth?’ declares the Lord” (Jer. 23:24 NIV). But the pride and disregard in Jonah’s heart was more than a mistake. It was sin! Jonah willfully and arrogantly chose to do something that he knew was wrong. And Jonah was angry about what God wanted him to do because he knew that God was known for being compassionate and merciful as well as vengeful (Ps. 145:8; 94:1).
Despite Jonah’s initial mistake and subsequent sin, he responded humbly with the time God spared his life in the belly of the great fish. Jonah repented and ultimately turned toward what God willed for his life. He learned from his mistake and responded appropriately to his sin.
“In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’ What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’” (Jonah 2:1,4,9 NIV)
Jonah’s belief that the Ninevites were beyond redemption was also an error in judgment; it was another mistake. God spared the Ninevites once they repented, and Jonah became angry. He knew that God was “a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity” (Jonah 4:2b). Jonah’s anger burned even to the point he wished he were dead. That was no mistake. That was sin. Many times, we do the same thing. We mistakenly believe one thing that leads us to err in our judgment. Then we make the wrong choices based on that error, and we become trapped in sin.
All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. (1 Cor. 6:12, NKJV)
Sisters, we can learn from the story of Jonah. If we are to be women who fear God and want to do His will in our life, we must be humble. Be humble so that we do not err in our judgment. Be humble so that we properly respond to our sin. And be humble to be better learners. As Sophocles stated, we need to be good women who do not yield to a course that is wrong and repair the evil we do. Will you be a woman who learns from her mistake? Better yet, will you be a woman who learns, too, from more than a mistake? Be someone who learns from her sin.
#IronRoseSister #teachthroughrelationships #learnthroughrelationships #learningbymakingmistakes #learnfrommistakes #redemption #Jonah #blog #guestwriter
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Written by Rayne Paz, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Salvador, Brazil
In 2019, I participated in a mission program. I was sent to Peru with a team of fellow Brazilians. We knew that we would have the opportunity to build relationships with the Peruvian people. In fact, we had been trained to do so, and we knew that we would have the assistance of a coordinator in the field to instruct and help us in this new environment.
Having someone to learn from was of the utmost importance so that my team could build good relationships. Our mentor, along with his wife, guided us in the language, the city, contact with the brothers and sisters, and many other activities. However, for this to be successful it was necessary for us to have certain attitudes as learners. I would like to share some of them with you.
- Willingness to learn — Building relationships can be costly — we cannot relate to others without setting aside our fears and opening ourselves to learning. In the Bible, we see this in the mentorship between Moses and Joshua. God encouraged Joshua so he would not be afraid when relating directly to thousands of people. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1:9 NIV).
- Humility and submissiveness — Unfortunately, we often misinterpret the concepts of humility and submission, causing us to not be faithful in living out these practices. However, the light of the Scriptures provides their correct meanings. When we submit ourselves and humbly learn, we can better apply the teachings that we receive because we know that they are effective and reliable. Of course, that confidence can come from a mentor inspired by and devoted to the Lord, and who desires to faithfully convey His will to us. During the battle against the Amalekites, Moses instructed Joshua to gather men for the fight and Joshua submitted, knowing that Moses was a prophet of God. “So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered” (Ex. 17:10a).
- Patience to observe — During our mission, we had to be very careful to observe the customs, language, and behavior of that new environment. Our advisor strongly recommended that we do this so that instead of venturing out with no direction, we would be able to understand first, and only then carry out whatever activity we had planned. This helped us a lot, especially in avoiding situations that could become barriers in the process of building new relationships. Before becoming the leader of his people, Joshua learned from and assisted his mentor, Moses, for 40 years. This certainly contributed to the later development of his own ministry.
- Readiness to put into practice — True learning can only occur when accompanied by practical action. After a few weeks on the mission field, my team and I started to put into practice everything we had learned and everything we were learning day by day. We were able to start conversations, be in small groups in homes, evangelize, spend time in fellowship, and serve the congregation. Day by day we developed relationships and bonds that, beyond a shadow of a doubt, will carry on throughout the rest of our lives. Our coordinator was then able to watch over us from a distance. If we needed him, he would be there, but at that point, we were independently developing good fruits. When Moses had to go, it was time for Joshua to put into practice what he had learned. The challenge was tremendous, but the Lord was with him. “Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, ‘Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance.’” (Deut. 31:7)
Mentorship is a mutual and blessed learning process for both the mentor and mentee. This exchange allows us to develop and serve in a most personal way. We need to take advantage of opportunities and hold onto people that teach and instruct in a way that is faithful to God, who are mature, who welcome us, and who transmit to us what was once taught to them. In the same way, we will pass on these teachings so that there are more and more mentors and apprentices of the Lord Jesus. Above all in this relationship, there will be learning from the Supreme Mentor: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matt. 11:29).
Have you ever approached someone to mentor or be mentored? Think about the exchange of blessings that will be yours in this relationship.
#IronRoseSister #teachingthroughrelationships #learningthroughrelationships #mentor #learningfromamentor #missionwork #learnonthefield #blog #guestwriter