MISTAKES

MISTAKES

Made any big mistakes lately?  If you can say no to that, you probably have been in bed with the covers over your head.  We all make mistakes. That’s a given. Sometimes there is a quick recovery and other times there is no recovery possible. Quick recoveries often include apologies and/or rapid effort to stem the harm caused.  A lot of times we would just like to pretend it never happened, that we didn’t say the things we said, but that never works.  Usually we have to just go forward and take the heat.

St. Paul was an enthusiastic persecutor of the early Christians.  He regarded them all as heretics and blasphemers.  His reputation for violent reaction was well known.  Then one day, on his way to Damascus to round up these criminals, he was thrown from his horse by a bolt of lightening which blinded him.  Imagine!  This proudly arrogant man, so sure of himself, was suddenly helpless.  As he stumbled around in confusion a voice said; “Saul, why do you persecute me?”  This was his introduction to Christ.  After he recovered his sight and was instructed by others, he reverted to his Roman name, Paul, a name more familiar to Gentiles, and began to preach the Good News.

Was everyone happy about this?  Would you be?  If ever there were a time for skepticism, this would be it.  Everyone was convinced that this was a new ploy of Paul to worm his way into the trust of the People of the Way, only to turn on them and have them killed.  It was Barnabas who believed in Paul’s conversion and encouraged the others to give him a chance. 

Paul took the heat and moved forward.  God used all that ego, arrogance and energy to further the gospel.  Who better to show the power of Christ than a man who had been his archenemy?  Paul did a complete turn-around, baffling everyone. 

All the events surrounding Paul’s astounding change of heart reveal plainly the hand of God.  Trusted people suddenly came to Paul’s defense; disciples heard God speak to them on Paul’s behalf.  As you read the conversion story in Acts: 9:1-30, it’s quite obvious that God is in charge.

Most of our mistakes don’t get reversed with quite the same drama, but if we understand that, like with Paul, God can and will use whatever we do for his own ends, we will begin to put our trust in Him to use our mistakes as he sees fit.  That’s not to say that apologies, amends, humiliation and shame will not be required but it’s the end result that counts and with God’s help, we will recover and resolve to do better.

With total confidence in God, Paul went on to travel far and wide and preach.  He endured enormous resentment, opposition, violence and imprisonment with the same rugged stubbornness as always.  God knows who we are and cares for us. Trust in Him.

Blessings,

Carol Lemelin OPA