Oops!!!

This morning I had a meeting with a new mentee who lives in Jakarta, Indonesia. Despite being 12 time zones away, through the wonder of the internet and a Zoom account, we were able to have an hour-long meeting as if we were in the same room. (Side note: it is not the same as being in a room together but the is a topic for another post.) I was connected to this mentee via Resource Global and through their cohort program whose purpose is to prepare them to use their unique talents and influence to make an impact for the Gospel in their communities. I have been blessed to be a part of this annual program since 2018.

What I have learned in these dozens of mentoring sessions is that the best thing I bring to the table are my mistakes. The lessons I share usually do not come out of the huge wins that I may have been a part of but rather when I have dropped the ball or not acted at all like a disciple of Christ should act – and then my response to these situations. Character is not built during hard times but rather revealed. 

Recently, I read this quote from Arianna Huffington, co-founder of The Huffington Post:

We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes – understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.

Owning up to a mistake is one of the hardest things for many of us to do but not owning it just causes more pain. The fallout is usually much worse. There are five steps we need to take when we “screw up royally”:

1.     Admit it. Don’t hide it or excuse it away but raise your hand and say, “Yep…that is on me.”

2.     Ask for forgiveness. Any error we have committed has hurt or offended someone. Seek forgiveness from them as well as from God. (Side note #2: our job is to seek forgiveness not to get it…some people are not willing to receive it. We cannot fix that.)

3.     Discern from yourself, others, and God how to avoid this from happening again.

4.     Seek God’s help to be transformed.

5.     Check back with others to see how you are doing with this transformation.

How are you doing with your mistakes? When was the last time you made a mistake? How did you respond? What character (good or bad) was revealed? What did you learn from it?

I would love to hear and would be happy to share some of my mistakes with you. Please grab a time on my calendar for a quick 15-minute call or contact me via email.