Odds are we have all made at least one, if not millions, of mistakes along our journey of life. That’s okay. We know that when we make mistakes, we can count on God’s forgiveness.
God’s grace and forgiveness is quite large, but it is not our get-out-of-jail free card. Instead, what must take place is quite the opposite. We must continually strive to grow and improve as a human and as a Christian. We must continually reflect back on our own lives and remember the errors we have made and try to avoid those pitfalls in the future so that, when it comes to mistakes, history will not repeat itself. We must continually hold ourselves and others accountable, in order to serve and give to God to the best of our abilities.
We have to find some way to learn from our mistakes. This is why we need reminders, from peers, from mentors and from history teachers. It can often be easier for some to remember and learn than it can for others. Furthermore, how we learn from our mistakes and why we change as a result of them also greatly matters.
If we think others (or even ourselves) are frustrated with our inability to learn, and lack of change or transformation from missteps, imagine how God might feel about that. Granted the forgiveness and grace we receive may be immense. But, it also does not mean that God does not feel sadness when He is let down.
Maybe we should take Paul’s masterful approach (1 Corinthians 10:1-13): mention past mistakes, in bits and pieces, state why they were wrong, and what bad can come of them, then pass on how to fix it and avoid them to future generations. Or, more specifically, do what we can so that history does not repeat itself.
That is not only what Paul wants, or even what others want, it is a yearning that God wants: For us to be the best and most loving human beings we can, the ones that God created us to be, and teach others to do the same.