4:182 – Acknowledging Your Mistakes and Moving Forward

#faithbites #faithjourney Acknowledging

Setting

Happy Canada Day to my Canadian friends. I have only been to Canada once and loved it. When I wished my friend a Happy Canada Day she said this one would be different than celebrations of the past. Atrocities against indigenous people have been discovered that are contrary to the inclusivity of Canada’s mission

What is amazing to me, unlike other countries, is that Canada is acknowledging their mistakes, trying to make amends, and moving forward as a nation. Sure, there is no way to bring someone back, but they are trying to move forward.

in our lives, we will make mistakes. We need to be people who are comfortable acknowledging our mistakes, ask forgiveness, and not making them again. Jesus calls us to atone and be forgiven.

Scripture

• 1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
• Psalm 51:10 – Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Reflection

The forgiveness cycle has two parts: ask for forgiveness and be forgiven. It seems to be very easy as Jesus will forgive us our sins. We just have to ask. The asking part can be hard. It means we have to acknowledge that we did something wrong. Acknowledging isn’t easy as there is a weakness there. What if we looked at it as a strength? We know what we did was wrong, even if it was unintentional, and we had the strength of character to admit it. There is no weakness in it. Then and only them can we be forgiven.

No one is perfect, not even our friends in the great white north. Their reckoning with their mistakes is an example of how we can acknowledge our faults and seek atonement.

As we close, remember that Jesus will forgive us all our sins. We just need to be acknowledge we have made them, seek forgiveness, and work to not repeat them.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, tonight we have two prayers. First help us acknowledge our mistakes. Let us know why our behavior was wrong and how to correct it in the future. Second, we pray for your forgiveness. Please make us white as snow, so we can move past our sins and be the people you want us to be. In your name, we pray, Amen.