Acknowledge Your Mistakes

“He who heeds rebuke gets understanding.”        Pr 15:32 NKJV

In spite of his faults, flaws, and failures, God called David “a man after [my] own heart” (Ac 13:22). And one of the qualities that made David great was his willingness to acknowledge his mistakes. Here were two instances of it: (1) When fleeing the wrath of King Saul, he sought the help of a certain priest—a decision that caused Saul to order the death of eighty-five priests and their families. Devastated but not defensive, David told the surviving son of the slain priest who had assisted him, “I have caused the death of all your father’s family” (1Sa 22:22 NLT). Can you imagine taking responsibility for such a tragic consequence? (2) When the prophet Nathan confronted him about his affair with Bathsheba and his attempt to cover up her resulting pregnancy by having her husband killed, David acknowledged, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2Sa 12:13 NLT). Would you have the emotional and spiritual maturity to make such an admission? Or do you have a tendency to defend your actions for fear of being judged, criticized, or rejected? Do you sometimes feel attacked when someone offers feedback, whether it is positive or negative? Do you retreat in silence? Do you counter-accuse or blame your attacker? Do you make hostile comments? Do you become sarcastic? Making mistakes doesn’t make you a lesser person, but defending them does. Don’t let pride rob you of the wisdom that comes from acknowledging your mistakes and ultimately growing through them. “He who disdains instruction despises his own soul, but he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.”

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