Daily Devotional – 5/16/12 “That mistake you made, well ….”

Get over it! Child, mistakes are made by folk every day! You weren’t the first to make one and you surely won’t be the last. Learn from the mistake or mistakes, let it go and move on. Stop beating yourself over the head and stop wallowing in it because the bible says in Psalm 37:24, “though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.” Yea, you will make a mistake, which means you stumble, but you can get over it! Don’t allow the mistake to keep you stuck in the same position for too long because the mistake has no power and the mistake doesn’t define your character, you do. So what if you used to be an alcoholic, so was Noah but look at how God used him after the mistake. So what if you used to be a prostitute, so was Rahab but God put her in Jesus’ path to be used in his work. So what you used to lie and steal, Matthew was a dishonest tax collector but God chose him as one of disciples. See, it doesn’t matter about the mistakes you made because if you trust God to do just what he said he’d do, he’ll wipe the slate clean every time. That’s why the bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Yea, God can take the mess you used to be and turn it into a masterpiece. He can take the drug addicted woman and turn her into a walking testimony. He can take the woman who used to prostitute herself and sleep with folk’s husbands and turn her into a Proverbs 31 woman. He can take a man who used to sell drugs, hurt folk for the fun of it and misuse folk because he could and turn him into a preacher of his word. God can take those who have been cast aside and make them rulers among men. God can take the person who others said would be nobody and make them a President over countries. God can take somebody like me, who was raised in the ghetto by a single mom who did what she had to for her children, who went to schools on the North side of town, who folks counted out because of the color of my skin, the texture of my hair and the shape of my body, ME, a simple nobody by the world’s standards; God cleaned me up, he forgive me of my sins, he takes those same sins and cast them into the sea of forgetfulness, he anoints my head, arms, hands, legs and feet daily and he makes me the person I am today; a vessel for his kingdom’s business. Yes, God can used folks who make mistakes because those mistakes make you stronger, they make you wiser, they make you better and they make you, YOU!

Don’t let folks label you with who you used to be because if you’re no longer making or living that mistake, it’s not you. You may have been a cheater, liar, alcoholic, drug addict, prescription pill user or even a backstabber but you’re not anymore so don’t allow yourself to be that any longer. You don’t have to wear a badge of your past mistakes because your past mistakes don’t matter to God because Isaiah 43:18 says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” Folks can call you whoever they choose too because all that matters is what you answer too. Besides, sometimes making a mistake can lead you to something good. Sounds crazy but it’s true. You knew that relationship you were in was a mistake from the beginning but you got a beautiful daughter or a handsome son from it, so you got something good. Yea, you realized too late that buying that car was a mistake because you now you have an extra bill but you got reliable transportation to get back and forth to work or even a part time job, so something good came from it. Ok, so you made a mistake on a report that was sent to management, correct it and now you know what not to do, so you learned something from it. Don’t dwell on the mistakes you’ve made, learn from them, let it go and move on. Will you make another mistake, probably, but that’s because it’s life and stuff happens but 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Will you always commit a sin or make a mistake, probably not but no one is perfect so there’s a chance that you will but when you pray, daily, ask God to “Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin (Psalm 51:2).” Baby, the mistakes you made are meaningless if you don’t make them anymore and if someone says they’ve forgiven you for them, don’t allow them to keep holding it over you. When you have been forgiven they must also forget because you can’t have forgiveness without forgetfulness. I know that folks say I can forgive but not forget but you can’t have one without the other because if you keep thinking about the mistake that hurt you in the past, you bring back that same hurt and anger which allows the devil an opening into your life. If you don’t believe me, read Ephesians 4:27 which say, “For anger gives a foothold to the devil.” I don’t make this stuff up, although I may reword it, it’s still true. In order to forgive, you and others have to forget.

That mistake you made, well it’s made now! Ask for forgiveness from God and anybody you’ve hurt, learn from it, let it go and move on. Stop allowing it to define who you are. If you used to steal, use those same skills and steal away to converse with God and study his word. If you used to lie down with anybody, use those skills and lie in God’s bed of righteousness with your mind stayed on him. If you used to be an alcoholic, replace the liquor with the blood of Jesus and drink it daily. If you used to be a drug addict, replace the addiction with love for thy brothers/sisters and pass it around. Don’t be bound by the mistakes of your past because God can clean you up and work everything out in your favor. Just because somebody thinks you shouldn’t have what you have because of how you used to look, look at God! Somebody said you should’ve been dead with all the crack cocaine you shot through your veins, but look at God working this. Somebody is questioning how you found such a loving husband after all the years of cheating you used to do, but look at God working this thang! Somebody is even trying to see how God could have picked somebody like you, who use to dance in night clubs, disrespect your mother, hurt your sisters, steal from your brothers, and lie when the truth would do; cleaned you up, gave you a new walk, a new talk, a new look and a new attitude and now you’re the minister of music, youth director, deacon, usher or trustee at the church but LOOK AT GOD WORKING THIS THANG OUT! See, not everyone that is close to you are close to you so even though they say they are proud of you, they don’t mean it but let God work that out. While they are busy counting your blessings, God is deducting from theirs and adding to yours. While they are counting you out and digging a dusty grave for you, God is simply adding pegs to your footstool and lifting you higher! So go on and let them talk about you, lie on you, scandalize your name, try to ruin your relationship, and keep on digging that ditch for you because when it’s all over with God has you covered so all is well! Just because I no longer look at what I used to be or how I use to look it doesn’t make me better, I simply see now how I am meant to be so I’ll be who God has made me and I will pray every day for God to “Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word,” Psalm 119:37.