May 21, 2023 - I Made a Mistake

     I made a mistake.  Actually two of them.  Two really big ones.  No, not getting married and answering the call to be a pastor.  Other than giving my heart to Jesus, those were the two best decisions of my life. 
     On one evening I made two ordering mistakes that could have proved to have been costly.  I ordered a sugar free product instead of a regular product and I ordered an item that we sell very few of instead of another one that we sell several every week.
     Both items were ordered on spreadsheets.  As we often do when we make a mistake, it’s easy to rationalize that I ordered them by using the laptop and the display is smaller than a regular monitor.  While that is the case, I still made two mistakes that I shouldn’t have made.
     I hate making mistakes.  Admitting a mistake is a tough one for me.  It has been since I was a kid.  There’s a perfectionistic bent that I have had all my life.  When I played baseball, hitting 300 meant that seven out of 10 times I made an out. 
     It hurts when I look back on maybe a sermon and I see that I quoted something from Matthew and the passage was in John.
     I am never pleased when I measure and cut a board too short.
     Mistakes are a part of life, though I am never happy about them.
     Committing a sin is a far different animal. 
     If making a mistake hurts then committing a sin is grievous to me.  I would like to think that I never intentionally commit a sin.  I never intentionally lie or steal or dishonor my parents or take the Name of the Lord in vain.
     Do I sin?  Obviously.  Only Jesus has the nail prints in His hands.
     The New Testament defines sin as missing the mark.  Kind of like shooting an arrow and missing the bullseye.
     That puts my need for forgiving grace in a whole different perspective.  I sin when I miss the mark of God’s intention for my life and for my day. 
     I often look back on a day and realize that I need the cleansing blood of Jesus to wash away the marks that I missed.  Maybe it was the wrong attitude toward someone.  Maybe it was a sin of not doing something that I knew I should have done.  Maybe it was failing to serve when the opportunity came.
     I thank God that I don’t have to be perfect to walk with Him.  He has taken care of the sin problem.
     And by His grace, the two big mistakes only ended up costing $50.  One company purchased the sugar free product and the manufacturer was willing to accept a return for the other mis ordered product.
     Isn’t God’s grace a marvelous thing?