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Saturday, June 25, 2016

Saturday Sermonette - How to be a Grownup, Lesson 4


When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 1 Corinthians 13:1, NKJV

Owning up to mistakes--easier said than done. They say confession is good for the soul--and most times it is--but it can also be almost impossible to accomplish. Blaming your mess-ups on someone else or on the immediate circumstances could be a life-long habit, and you know what they say about habits like that.

Wait a minute! What if it really is their fault? Let's say, for instance, that you're running to catch a loose ball and Kathy, running after the same ball, accidentally trips you. You fall into a mud hole, tearing and ruining your expensive new shirt. Mom's mad. She paid good money for that new shirt, and she's going to dock your allowance to get a replacement. You say it wasn't your fault, Kathy tripped you.

So your mom goes to see Kathy's mom, but Kathy's mom gets mad and says it wasn't Kathy's fault. If you hadn't been running after the same ball, you wouldn't have fallen over her feet.

So now they aren't speaking--years later, they are still not speaking. So not your fault, right???

But here's the deal: if you're going to be a grown-up Christian, what would be the right thing to do? How could you help mend that fence? Kathy won't admit she's in the wrong. Kathy's mom defends Kathy. Your mom defends you. There's only one person you can control--yourself.

Small mistakes sometimes escalate into huge messes, don't they? The mistake doesn't even have to be your fault--at least not totally your fault--but there is something you can do. You can own up to it. Man (or woman) up. Take the blame, even if only a piece of it is yours. You'd be surprised--sometimes that inspires the other person to also grow up a little and share the blame.

It could be up to you. You could start a trend that will ultimately bless a whole lot more than just the original two.

I was an adult, in my thirties, when I realized I was doing the "it's not my fault" thing and thereby teaching my children to do the same thing, but you don't have to be that slow.

Dear Lord, Thank You for showing me that I needed to own up to mistakes.  Please help others to see the same thing. Admitting fault isn't easy. Thank You, Lord.

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